Evermore
by Ever Grim
Summary: Warning: Blood, sexual themes, rape (spoken/mentions only), strong language, and torture (con/noncon) CanonxOC (slow progress), Important!OC, character death (noncanon), f/f (implied), f/m. Over a decade ago the Nightingales vanished without a trace. Now the mystery of the reappearance of an heir is left in the hands of Ciel Phantomhive. And the consequences that come with it.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This is a story that has been thought of, scrapped, put into action, and scrapped again. This time, however, I decided to start from scratch and use my same idea but with lots of plot changes and character redesigns, which in turn made a better story in my head._**

 ** _Since the manga is not over, this fic can be considered an arc based from the manga directly (I will not be going off the anime, so be warned that there will be some spoilers)_**

 ** _So without further ado, here's the first chapter._**

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Chapter 1- Who and Why

It was night. At least, she thought it was night. The curtains were drawn. So any possible light was absorbed. At least she thought the curtains were drawn, but she was blindfolded. She couldn't really tell. She had no sense of time or space at that moment, laying on the cold tiles of a floor she did not know. She felt groggy and sore, and she wondered why that was so. It took a few moments to register her surroundings, pulling herself back to reality. She started recovering her senses, one by one. Her sense of smell came first, which hit her with a wave of a strange scent. Blood and sweat, she thought. But at the same time, she wondered how she could tell. Her hearing came next, though there was not much to hear except a faint dripping noise coming from nearby from an eerie silence. Fear. She felt it now, as she recovered her sense of touch. Funny how she could recall how cold the ground was, but could not fully distinguish it. But the soreness became more intense when she moved her body, trying to get up. Her body would not properly respond. So then, her ears picked up a distinct sound against the silence; she sound of shallow footsteps. Using whatever strength she thought she had, she moved her arms to remove the obstruction of her sight. It was clumsy and the blindfold became tangled in her hair, probably moist from the sweat she smelled earlier. Her hair was wet? She furiously blinked and squinted as her sight was the last to return. Then she realized that it there was light. She wondered why. The first thing she saw was a ceiling; I was high and rounded, as if she were inside a dome. A dome? She wasn't so sure. She took in her new senses in like a sponge, but her thoughts were groggy and dismantled. She wondered where she was, and was suddenly overtaken by panic. This fired up her flight instinct, and in one rash movement lifted her body into a sitting position. The aches were everywhere; her head, her limbs, her chest, between her legs...

But then she felt it, a stinging sensation that made her skin feel like it was on fire. Instinctively she slapped a hand on the source of the pain. Her neck. The left. The center. The left side of her neck. The center left side of her neck. Her thoughts began to race as her cognitive sense struck. Where am I? Who am I? What's happening?

She then realizes she is staring at the ground. The ground is white. But wait, she thinks. There is also another color. The name escaped her. She remembered apples, theatres, leaves in fall. Red, she thinks. Its red. Its spread across the ground like spilled paint. But it wasn't paint. She remembered the smells. Rust, salt. Almost metallic. Blood, she realized. The ground has blood. Even then, she wondered why that was.

She hears the dripping. She feels the fear once more. She hears the footsteps, sounding closer. Approaching, she realizes. Panic rising, she slowly lifts her head. She gasps. The curtains were drawn, as she had thought. Then she sees it. A figure, gracefully walking across the tile floor. She sees them. A pair of bare feet, lithe and tanned. Seemingly human. Seemingly. The nails were black. Black? She thought. She wondered why it was so odd. The figure came to a stop. She had not looked around her, but she didn't need to. The new sight had her full attention. Ankles, she saw. Wrapped in something that looked soft. She thought of blankets, the feel of a breeze, a cat. Fur, she realized. Why fur? She thought, but her eyes wandered upwards. The figure had legs. Again, seemingly human. The same tone as the feet. But with nets on them. Nets? She thought. She looked up, realizing what the figure was. Or, what it might be.

A woman. It was now obvious to her, seeing her hips that narrowed to an hourglass shaped. She eyed her chest suspiciously, and felt a chill. She wondered why. The figure, she thought, lacked something. Fabric, covers...clothes. The woman lacked clothes, she thought. She looked down on herself, to confirm. White gown that matched the floor. She looked up to the woman. She was wrong. She had clothes, but didn't have them. She blinked a few times, the paradox confusing her. Then she looked again. She was covered, partly. But most of her body was exposed. Then she made out the details. She was adorned, she thought. Heavily adorned with something that looked like...bones. Claws and teeth. Her thoughts were becoming clearer now. Her eyes found the shoulders. Across them was something similar to the ankles. More fur. Then she saw the fur trailing downward, making her eyes wander again. Shirt? No, she thought. A cape. A fur cape that covered the back she could not see. The figure had arms. Matching tones, also with nets. Beads, too. Like the feet, the nails were black; and long. The left hand, it had a strange mark. The pain in her neck began to pulse. She swallowed nervously. She looked back up to the highest point of the figure. The face.

She froze. She knew she froze, because body stopped trembling. Trembling? She had not noticed. The face was covered in a down of gray; a shadow veiled by...hair. Hair was everywhere, falling in spirals. She could still see the face. But she could not describe it. Her mind would not process. She was frozen, after all. But her eyes did know what they saw. A grin, gently curled. A pair of amber eyes, as if they were glowing, long lashes revealing its depths. Staring straight down. She thought her heart was going to burst out from her chest. More fire in her neck.

The figure had not made a sound. Only stared. An air of danger encased them, and something darker. Then the figure's mouth open. To speak? To breathe? She wasn't sure, but she was sure of the long sharp canines that glistened lightly despite the shadows.

"Do you know who I am?" asked the figure in a voice like flowing honey.

Another shudder ran through her spine, and she was trembling again. She had not realized she had held her breath upon the gaze of the figure, and began to gently gasp for air.

The figure crouched down quietly, quietly making eye contact. With such close proximity, the face of the figure was more defined.

Beauty, she thought. A dangerous beauty.

Slowly, the figure raised her left arm to carefully touch the neck of the child in front of her. The child leaned into the figure's touch, sitting on her knees despite her aches and instincts screaming mercy at her.

The figure cupped the back of the child's neck, feeling the fingernails brush against the source of fiery pain.

The figure closed her eyes, and once opened, they became a glowing crimson with narrow pupils. Like a predatory animal.

"Do you know who YOU are?", asked the figure.

Silence. Then, an eruption of massive pain from the child's neck. All at once, the child knew everything. She knew who she was. She knew where she was. She knew what they'd done to her. She knew what she'd done to them. She knew what was stolen from her, and she remembered the pain. She saw the bodies around her, still dripping like a never ending roof leak, forming little lakes around her feet. Their faces in eternal despair, flesh shredded with sharp tools. She noticed the figure, who had once more stood and stepped back, was also covered in blood. It stained her skin, the bones and the teeth. Her lips. The figure licked her lips. The child was sure she did not imagine that gesture. The floodgates of her memories were poured out, violently, as if they were trying to purge a disease.

The child screamed, shook like a leaf, looked all around in terror. The child was in a nightmare. A nightmare that had a name; reality. The child had been swallowed and regurgitated until she was reborn into a new life that smelled of rust and wild pines.

The figure only watched the child as she adjusted to the current events. She watched her squirm, yell and sob all at once. She hugged herself and flail; she dug her nails into her skin, drawing red scratches on her arms and legs. The figure blinked when she saw the child scrunch up her legs.

Eventually the screams died down to whimpers comparable to a lost pup. Her arms went limp and her legs went still. Her labored breathing slowed into slow, feathery breaths. Eventually, the child stopped shaking; and still the figure stood, silently witnessing, not interfering. Eyes still glowing, no longer smiling. Perhaps even rising in anger.

The figure did not help the child. There was no need, for the child had calmed on her own; and slowly, but surely, the child began to stand. Clumsily first, as if she had been shaken by an earthquake. Secondly in an awkward pose, ignoring her body's strain. Eventually, and thirdly, she was able to lift her head.

With tired eyes and sorrowful faith, she looked at the figure. The one she had brought. The one who created and end; and at the same time, made a new beginning. The child knew this now; she knew who she was, and she knew who the woman that appeared before her was. But most of all, she knew now her purpose. The child looked at the woman in the eye; a gesture that did not need words at that moment. A sign of mutual understanding. With that cue, the woman approached. As if on instinct the child extended her arm, reaching out to her new hope.

The woman took the child's hand carefully, as if the small being in front of her was made of glass. Then, the pain of her neck disappeared. Then, the child found her voice. In a voice that was but a whisper.

"You are my light"

Upon hearing these words, the woman closed her eyes. She bowed her head and bent on one knee, never letting go of the child's hand. The adornments swiftly chimed to her movements; and with humble breath, she responded.

"As you wish, my Lady"

Another silence followed; it was a silence no longer ruled by fear. This silences carried alliance, energy. A new resolve.

Somewhere, a morning bird began to sing.

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 _ **A/N: There you have it folks. A whole different beginning to this revamped story. The writing was strange and progressively became more coherent; it was because I needed to portray the psychology and self identification of someone who had woken up to something horrifying. I hope I didn't do a bad job with that, I found this personal method to be interesting for me to explore. The ramblings of words to identify other specific words- i.e. Trying to identify "clothes" and the color "red"- was a bit of a reference to the Unwind Dystology (a series of books that are superb reads) where the author uses a similar thought/speaking process for one of the characters. I will be posting around three chapters including this one; and I intend to post in threes when the time comes to do updates. Reviews are the sole sustenance of my motivation, and even if its just to say hello or write praise, I will welcome every single one with open arms.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: *cracks knuckles* aight here we go. We're out of mystery land (for now) and into familiar territory. I'm bringing in the dogs!**_

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Chapter 2- The Invite

Boring. It was the first word that came to mind as a young noble sorted through his mail. He brushed the hair off his face in automatically, reading every letter with clear disinterest. He knew that he needed to eventually face whatever demands, requests, and documents were contained between the fancy parchments of an envelope; but in that moment, he was free to show his lack of excitement. It was especially clear every time his brow furrowed when reading an invitation to some family's fancy ball. At least those, he thought, he could easily overlook. He shouldn't be surprised; the social season was ending, after all, and the nobles always pushed and rushed for last minute parties before the seasons changed to colder climates. If there was any indicator of that fact, it was the stack of letters that were solely invitations, higher in volume than his usual business-related mail. The young teen was just about to open the last envelope of the piles, a curious pitch black envelope with red borders, when a knock on the door interrupted his movements.

A tall figure dressed in the black suit of a butler entered the room. His white gloved hands pushed a metal cart with a tea kettle, tea cups, and a plate with a small pastry.

The butler addressed his master with a small bow, and began to serve the contents of the tray onto the rosewood desk of the young earl.

"Good evening, my Lord. Its time for afternoon tea"

Ciel Phantomhive looked to the pendulum clock that rested across the room. 5 o'clock. His butler was as punctual as ever. He didn't answer his butler, but acknowledged his presence with a low grunt.

"Today's tea consists of fresh Formosa Oolong with a crème brule topped by candied peaches"

The butler stood over his master as the boy patiently took his afternoon tea. Ciel was pleasantly surprised to find that the combination of drink and pastry blended in well with similar flavoring. He did not tell this to his butler, of course, not giving the demon the benefit to further boost his ego.

"Do you like today's combination, my lord?" Asked the demon, giving a small cat-like grin.

"I suppose its passable" replied Ciel with his usual flat response. Though, today he was tad curious.

"But why peaches?"

The butler had an immediate response.

"I had them brought over from the London estate. The peaches the young Prince Soma gifted you would have gone bad soon, so I used them for desserts"

Ciel was going to protest, but held his tongue. He knew his butler was correct, as always. He had moved back into the main Phantomhive estate before the social season ended, earlier than most nobles. But then again, Ciel wasn't most nobles. Truth be told, he had grown wary of the constant humidity and growing city pollution as they triggered his asthma a couple of times. It didn't help that he was out of the house more frequently than most of his London summers; and since he wasn't that much of a gala person anyway, he decided that he did not need to stay the entire time. This action, of course, met the resistance of prince Soma Asman Kadar of Bengal. The young prince could not change his best friend's mind about leaving no matter what he said, so adamant to have his own way at least on a small scale, insisted that Ciel take a crate full of ripe peaches as a parting gift. Ciel found the gift unusual seeing as peaches were hard to come by in London, but he accepted them nonetheless. If he didn't, the poor little prince would have probably pouted from then on until the next summer. He had not ordered his butler to dispose of them, so he brought the peaches back to the main house. Now they were served in his afternoon tea. Ciel supposed that whether he had really wanted them or not it was irrelevant now; they were being used rightfully and purposefully. Ciel always looked forward and concentrated on the present, even if it was over something as simple as peaches.

"It's alright, I suppose", wad the only thing Ciel said as he swiftly sipped his tea. The butler grinned to himself; his master was not aware that the rest of the peaches had already diced, juiced, extracted, and boiled to prepare fresh jars of marmalade and slices of peaches soaked in nectar. He supposed that the young master did not need to know that for the moment.

Ciel scowled, wondering what the devil his butler was grinning about. He quickly brushed it aside as he got to the task at hand.

"Sebastian, what is on the schedule after this?"

Sebastian began to remove the tea set and silverware, and answered briskly and concisely.

"At 6 o'clock your tailor arrives to deliver the rest of your wardrobe for the end of the season, and after that your schedule is open to do with what you wish" said Sebastian said, already pushing the cart to the entrance of the study.

"I will be down to the drawing room within the hour. Come and get me when Miss Hopkins arrives" stated Ciel in a curt order.

Sebastian peeked through the door as he was leaving, giving a nod, and left the room.

Ciel was left to his own devices, even if it was for a little bit. No doubt his studious manners would soon be interrupted by the bold and pompous Nina Hopkins. So, remembering his stack of letters in his desk, he went to grab the black envelope. It was a curious thing with red borders and the corners decorated diagonally with red ribbon. In gold letters, the front was addressed to Count Ciel Phantomhive.

He was about to toss the envelope aside when another knock came through his door. Ciel gave permission for entry, and in stepped another young figure dressed in black. He had hair the color of stars and odd scale-like formations on part of his face. It was the footman of the house, no doubt with an unanticipated visitor.

"What do you need, Snake?" Asked Ciel in a neutral tone.

The shy footman shifted a little as one of his snakes perched itself around his arm and shoulder.

"Charles Phipps has come to deliver a message from the queen personally, says Oscar" he replied.

Unsurprised by this, the earl gave permission for entry.

Phipps is one of the queen's butlers and secretary. A noble if high skill usually paired up with Charles Gray, often called the Double Charles, they were known for their ferocity and strong loyalty to Queen Victoria. However, there was only one Charles instead of two; Phipps entered the room with heavy steps and a good posture. His pale hair shone in the evening light and his eyes were as hard as stones. Snake stood quietly by the door, waiting for further instructions.

"Greetings, lord Earl. It is of utmost importance that I deliver this directly to you" said Phipps, bringing out an ivory colored envelope with a deep red wax seal of the queen's insignia.

Phipps held out the envelope, waiting for it to be received. Ciel looked at it apprehensively; he knew this was another job for the Queen's Watchdog, but he could also see the rushing movements of Phipps.

"The queen was very strict on passing this on today so it could arrive," said Phipps, eyeing the black envelope in Ciel's hands, "at the same time as the letter in your hands"

Ciel did not need further explanation.

"Put the envelope on the desk" he said curtly.

Phipps approached the earl in his desk, and placed the royal letter where instructed. He gave a small bow, saluting with his arm across his chest.

"The queen and the kingdom thanks you for your service" he said, and promptly turned to leave the room. Snake, who had just gotten out of his daydreaming, saw the guest out the door.

"Snake, accompany him to the main entrance. After, please get me Sebastian. We have a job to do" ordered Ciel, staring ahead as Snake and his pet gave a small bow, and went out after Phipps.

His boredom was gone, instead replaced by a stronger curiosity than before. He held the black envelope on one hand, and the ivory one on the other. He figured it was about time he has gotten another order; the Queen has been quiet for most of the social season, sending him odd simpler jobs on occasion. Ciel felt that whatever mission he had been placed with now, I would be big; the bigger it was the more interesting it will be. Ciel was almost eager to see what events will unfold.

He first opened the letter from the Queen; he had not noticed how thick this envelope was in comparison to others, and saw several pristine white pages within. He unfolded the folded papers, starting with the inner page, he began to read the familiar fancy font of his superior.

"Dearest Earl Phantomhive,

How have you enjoyed the season? The weather has been milder than most, which makes me remember the summers I spent with my dear Albert. I sincerely hope you were able to partake in ripe peaches, which have been very popular this season. But I digress. Allow me to get to the point. I am to assume that by the time you are reading this you will already have a black letter in your possession. It is of utmost importance that you accept whatever invitation it contains, for the patron of that letter is the objective for your next task. "

Ciel stopped reading the queen's letter at that point, quickly opening the black envelope. Sebastian had just came back into the study when Ciel started reading the fine gold print on burgundy paper.

Sebastian would have called to announce his arrival were it not for the concentrated scrunching of his master's eyebrows, a habit the demon found amusing.

"To the head of the family,

You have been cordially invited to attend the birthday and presentation of Dutchess Helena Lou Nightingale, the Lady of Nightingale, head of the family and heiress to the Nightingale family enterprises.

A reception for greeting will be held, followed by food, drink, and a dance.

We request your presence at the Nightingale estate on the 13th of August, year of 1890. The estate can be found in the town of Marlowe, England and at the end of Owl's Lane.

RSVP is required within a week of receiving this invitation. Enclosed is the ticket that serves as proof of entry. Dates are encouraged.

The Lady will be honored to meet you, and eagerly awaits your arrival.

-L.W., Head Butler of Nightingale"

Ciel sighed. It would not be the first time that he would have to attend a high society gala for a job. Sometimes he wondered if the queen asked too much of him. Regardless of that thought, he took out the rest of the contents of the invitation envelope. There was a piece of paper with a map of Marlowe and where the mansion was located. There was a black card that had some more gold text with a blank space, which could only be the RSVP note. Finally, Ciel took out the smallest piece of parchment from the envelope; a ticket that fit the palm of his hand, and was beautifully coated in a gold border with a shine that was almost mirror like. As Ciel inspected the ticket, he saw the insignia; a red an orange bird whose body and feathers formed a circle. In black text below the insignia, read 'In igne et aurum resurgimus'. Ciel knew enough Latin to know the translation.

"In fire and gold we rise" said Ciel, looking over to Sebastian. The young Earl knew what he had to do. With quill and ink already by his side, Ciel took the RSVP card and signed his name on the blank space provided.

"Put this into an envelope and stamp my insignia on the back. Then deliver it quickly to the Nightingale estate. And while you're at it" he paused, "inspect the grounds of that mansion. Then come back before the tailor arrives"

Sebastian took the RSVP card, and even though he knew the answer, he asked:

"Are we to be in attendance, my lord?"

Ciel knew this was another one of his demon's jabs at Ciel to state the obvious, but knew better than to give the demon the satisfaction of an annoyed reaction.

"As per the queen's orders" replied Ciel "And mine"

Sebastian bowed his head, hand across his chest.

"As you wish" said Sebastian, and with that left the room so quickly anyone else would have thought the butler had vanished into thin air.

'Well' thought Ciel, 'it looks like I will be able to humor Nina after all'

It was worse than humoring the seamstress. To Ciel's frustration Nina Hopkins had arrived 20 minutes earlier than anticipated. Without Sebastian there to stop her, Nina had all but dragged Ciel away to the master bedroom. After trying on a total of three complete outfits Ciel was just about ready to bolt out of the dressing room half naked, when Sebastian came back with his usual smug smile.

"My Lord, I have returned from your errand as ordered" announced Sebastian.

Nina, halfway between pulling a new shirt off Ciel and grabbing her measuring tape, saw the butler enter the room and immediately gave her most valuable scowl. She was absolutely ecstatic when Ciel gave her a new order for the Nightingale party, an event that suddenly became the talk of the city. She was swamped with orders from nobles aplenty, making her business boom even further. The boost in career and having to make special new gowns for his favorite customers, the little lord Phantomhive and his adorable fiance Lizzy Middleford, certainly put her in a good mood. Even as the 'stiff' entered the room, her giddiness did not change; though her habit of frowning at the tall butler whenever he came within a 10 feet radius would not be defeated.

"Oh its Mr. Stiff with even more work for the poor little master of the house. Honestly, can't he spend at least an hour doing something nice for a change?" scoffed Nina.

Sebastian had to hold back a laugh as he saw Ciel's distress at the wicked gasp of the seamstress. He put his hand to his chin, eyes glowing with sneer.

"The task at hand would certainly be much 'nicer' than what he's doing now" replied Sebastian with a hint of sarcasm.

Nina's eye had actually twitched at the butlers provocation. Oh how she would have loved to kick the man in the groin if it wasn't for Ciel breaking the tension.

"Haven't you had your fun already, Miss Hopkins?" said Ciel while furiously trying to put his regular shirt back on. "You already made me your mannequin and you measures me twice for the new suit. I think we're done here"

Nina turned away from the butler to face a half dressed Ciel. She put her hands on her hips, pouting.

"But you know why I had to do it! Don't you think I didn't notice you grew again," the tailor waved her arms dramatically. "I avoided a disaster! Honestly, both you and miss Lizzy have begun to sprout like weeds since the summer began. Be thankful I am here to look out for you!"

Sebastian went over to Ciel without being told to, since he observed that the boy could still not figure out his buttons. Ciel swore in another language, probably French, at how bold the two elephants in the room usually were.

It was true what Nina said, Ciel knew; at the young age of fourteen Ciel has finally come out of his growth stunt; and to his disbelief, Elizabeth also followed suit. His fiancé was still taller than him abs he still wore heels in his wardrobe.

Nina only stood in silence, now her arms crossed against her well endowed chest, as she watched how the butler expertly buttoned the shirt and even managed to put Ciel's tie back on. Though she would never admit it, Nina thought that the butler at least had initiative.

Ciel cleared his throat as he began to move to exit the dressing room.

"Miss Hopkins, I trust you to design a suit as we discussed. I'm sure Lizzy will be happy as well" he said to Nina, whom was also hastily picking up after herself as she saw no point in staying any longer, especially since it was getting dark.

Nina only sighed. "Well, you're the boss. I will make you two the center of attention, mark my words"

Sebastian bowed to the seamstress (because Ciel had ordered him to show a bit more common courtesy) and led both Ciel and Nina out of the room.

"If you would like to wait in the conservatory, our footman will see you out and escort you to your carriage" he said.

Nina only nodded, her fire already fading and giving a big yawn. She knew the way, so both both butler and master left the tailor to her own devices.

As they entered the study once more, Ciel ordered that the door be locked; he had enough interruptions for the day and his fingers were itching to uncover the rest of the queen's letter. As he picked up where he left off, he paused for one last thought.

"Sebastian" Ciel said, not looking up from the letter.

The butler perked from his own thoughts. "Yes, my lord?"

Ciel sighed.

"Tone down on the sarcasm"

Aaaaaand done. Wow I had fun with this chapter. Our favorite little shits are here yay! Er...I mean protags. And Nina since I really love her. Thanks to my recent decision to catch up to the manga I am knowledgeable in character interactions!

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 _ **Though tbh I fear I went OOC and its hard for me to tell. If you think I'm OOC, leave me a review and let me know for whom and how! Im still discovering my writing style so sometimes I need a push in the right direction.**_

 _ **And uh, hint...a new little birdie for the next chapter.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**And here's chapter three! The fact that I have come this far means that I am dedicated enough to see this through to the end. I am posting these three chapters separately first then making multi-chapter updates. I know I said in 3's, but maybe it will be 2's since I finally have a job now and that may affect my writing time. I'm starting off the chapter with the original crew. Enjoy!**_

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Chapter 3- On Late Summer's Day

After the rambunctious visit of the tailor Ciel Phantomhive gave a new order. He ordered Sebastian to locate the Nightingale estate and search the grounds for anything suspicious or out of place; with that the young lord was on his own.

Seeing to it that there were no more interruptions, Ciel finally read the rest of the Queen's letter in peace, and a new resolve was sparked.

"The Nightingales. They were a family once noble and powerful, long before your time. I met them when I was younger and while my dear Albert was still alive, rest his soul. Sixteen years ago, however, the family suddenly disappeared. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say they were eliminated, but there were no remains of anyone left behind to be found or identified. The members of the family, the companies they ran, and even the contents inside their mansion had simply vanished into thin air. Then, some months ago, a young woman appears claiming to be the last remaining descendant to the Nightingale name. I would have immediately turned this woman away were it not for one thing. Before their disappearance, the last heads of the family, Clara and Anthony Nightingale, had an infant daughter. Never got to meet the child, but it was for this reason that instead of turning her away I launched an investigation on her lineage. After much research and a lot of investigating, signs pointed to Helena Lou to be legitimate, making her the true heir to the title of duchess of Nightingale. Upon the request of the new Lady Nightingale and her guardian, the court was held privately and she was officially presented to me. Now, with her introduction to society coming soon, I would like you to investigate the new heiress and find out why the family disappeared as well as the true intentions to their sudden return. The Duchess Nightingale is the owner of Phoenix enterprises, so seek out information from this source as well. No doubt the nobility of this country will be all too curious of the little lady, since the older ones remember the Nightingale family. Some not too fondly. This turn of events could either cause a small ripple, or a great disturbance that might shake the structure of this land. I request your assistance in this matter, for I know someone like you is very capable to follow through with your duties.

Much regards,

Victoria"

Besides the letter, there was a thick stack of folded papers. Despite what he now knew, Ciel was a bit taken aback about what was in the stack; they were documents dating back to King Henry VIII, filled with names and dates of people; upon further inspection Ciel realized that he was reading the genealogy of the Nightingale family. It was complete, branching from of the tyrant king and one of his wives filled to the brim with details. The history was straightforward but deliciously detailed as the family tree moved along slowly, the ink becoming fresher and younger as Ciel read through the pages. As he came closer to the end of the pile he began to see photos, less than 20 years old, that had been X'd out with a swift swipe of a quill; he could only assume these were the family members that had disappeared. On the last page were the names and photos of Clara and Anthony Nightingale, with the dates of their births and their apparent deaths. The photos also had been X'd out. Then, at the bottom, where the scent and color of the fine ink was fresh and new, was a photo of Helena Lou Nightingale with the date of her birth, disappearance, and her return.

"I fail to see how the restoration of a bloodline would cause concern to the queen" said Ciel as he leafed through the files. No one was there to hear him, and he remembered his own unexpected return.

'Then again', he thought to himself.

"Report to me what you found" he had commanded.

Sebastian, knowing what his master meant, began to speak with technicality.

"The building is entirely symmetrical. It is approximately 4 meters taller than the Phantomhive mansion. Judging from the weathering and the material, the mansion is no doubt from the last century. There are two towers on the west and east sides of the building that align with the windows on the east and west outer walls. However old the building has clearly been refurbished"

Ciel motioned for Sebastian to stop.

"How so?"

Sebastian continued his explanation. "While the main structure and stone remained in tact, there were more windows added to the mansion and all of them are French styled. Besides that there was also a newly installed green house attached to the back wall of the mansion"

One thing was nagging at Ciel. The way his butler was explaining things, all the technicality, reminded him of when the demon played Father Jeremy. It was unnerving and, no doubt, Sebastian's idea of amusing himself.

"What about the inside?"

Sebastian seemed suddenly a bit irked by Ciel's interruptions. He scowled and then promptly answering his master, working to hide any irritation.

This time Sebastian purposely paused, knowing Ciel would ask another question. He did not disappoint.

"Yes that's all well and good, but is this mansion any threat at all?" Ciel asked, now catching the annoyance bug from his butler.

At that, Sebastian's crimson eyes narrowed a little, and for a brief moment, Ciel could have sworn he saw the demon's eyes gleam.

"There didn't seem to be any immediate threats, my lord" replied Sebastian, this time smirking like a cat who knew more than its foolish masters.

There was something Sebastian wasn't telling him.

"There's something else, isn't there? You have not once mentioned what was inside that estate"

Sebastian closed his eyes and gave a small sigh.

"Well, I would have done so already, my lord, had I been able to get inside"

Ciel raised an eyebrow, now assuming that his butler was overdoing the theatrics.

"Be serious, Sebastian."

Sebastian's smile faded.

"I can assure you, I am being very serious. I could not enter the estate as per your orders."

The boy was feeling the beginnings of a headache.

"Then how in the bloody hell were you, a demon of all things, not able to get past a lock and door that's more than two centuries old?"

Sebastian sighed again. The human must be serious if he is getting so riled up, he thought.

"The house is protected. I can't be entirely certain, but it appears to be some sort of very strong magic. All possible entrances to the mansion are protected. My hands were singed when I touched the front door, and my gloves were turned into ash".

To further explain, Sebastian approached Ciel's desk and showed him his hands.

With Sebastian exposing his hands, it was very clear what the butler had said; they were fading, but clear as day there were reddened burn marks scoring across his palms. As a demon Sebastian was able to heal quickly, so the fact that the burns were still there at all unsettled Ciel. He had to trace the indentations of the burns to believe they were real.

The boy leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and resting his hand on his chin. The young earl already had his share of strange jobs, but this was by far the strangest. For the most part, any job he had that concerned some kind of magic always turned out to be some kind of fluke, with a more practical explanation behind them. Now, however, his butler stood in front of him telling of some kind of hex magic that is coincidentally protecting the very place that houses his next job. It's not as if Ciel never considered the existence of magic. He had done so plenty of times every time a new bizarre job from the queen came in. Even more so since the reaper he once may have considered an ally went rogue. But for magic to actually be placed from the start on a silver platter, that was new. Although uneasy, a rush of adrenaline electrified his veins.

"Interesting" he said absentmindedly.

Ciel tapped his chin, and when he was done with his contemplation, he turned to Sebastian once more. Taking a quill and dipping it in his inkwell, the young earl took the RSVP card that had been neglected before and signed it on the line provided; and with quick movements, stamped his insignia ring into a wax seal that was prepared in advance to seal the envelope the card was placed in. He had promise himself long ago that no matter what happened, there would be no regrets, and this case wasn't any different.

"Sebastian" called Ciel.

Sebastian took a step back, and stood in attention.

"Tomorrow morning I want you to deliver this letter confirming our attendance. Do not engage with anyone in the household yet, we will wait until the ball to do so. Understood?"

Sebastian smiled, and bowed politely after he took the letter from his master.

"Understood, my lord"

As he left the office, the demon's eyes gleamed in the candlelight.

* * *

The day was very windy. It was merely August, but the light chill of the wind brought the signs of the inevitable autumn to come. The season had ended, but in many places, many people of high social standing were preparing themselves for one final event. One that had been anticipated for a month since the invitations were sent out. The RSVPs flew in like flies to a carcass, sending an unspoken wave of curiosity amongs the noble families of the country. Their destination was the home of the newly returned Duchess of Nightingale, a debut they were sure to remember.

Ciel was in his carriage accompanied by Elizabeth Midford, who was jittery yet silently beaming in excitement, and her brother Edward Midford. Lizzy was unusually quiet. To be more precise, the demeanor of the young marchioness had changed considerably since the events of the Campania. Having to face off the living dead, the unleashing of her true potential and excellency in the sword, it had taken a toll on the girl. It had been almost a year since it happened and during that time, her relationship with Ciel had been rocky; or, he realized, better described as awkward. After the hectic events of the Campania and the green witch Ciel's life as the watchdog seemed to wind down considerably. That's when it hit him how everything was different, or at least not completely how he had thought. Ciel was the slightest bit fearful of the Elizabeth he had never known until that fateful day when she decided to protect him with all her might. While Sieglinde Sullivan was around and learning the ways of a lady, Elizabeth's visits were constant. That was the day he started to feel genuine curiosity, the curiosity he has lacked as a child was no longer repressed. It was that curiosity that kept him willing to accept the changes in the girl. After the situation of the green little witch was put to an complete end, his encounters with his fiancé were rare and far in between. It's as if a thick veil was put between them, hiding thoughts and troubles from each other. Then Ciel invited Elizabeth for a private party to celebrate his 14th birthday. It was more as an excuse to see the girl, and it was just as he expected. The chatter of his fiancé was familiar and even mood lifting, but with a more solemn and mature air to her tone and posture. If one were just looking, it would seem that the lady was acting out of character. To those who actually observed, Lady Elizabeth simply gained a maturity that came from what she had experienced and with the time she had for herself. She was still as vivacious and energetic as before, but now she had this new aura of strength that made her irresistible to those who laid eyes on her. That encounter had helped take the first step into breaking the ice between them. Ciel and Elizabeth never spoke of what happened in the Campania. There was a mutual acceptance and understanding between them that they could never deny the horrors they witnessed. While they were still on the seesaw of awkwardness, they seemed satisfied with what they had. But for now, Ciel thought, they were on their way to a party; a party that he himself was willing to attend even if it was for a mission. One he had invited his fiancé to attend as a pair, something he had never done. Elizabeth, who had also gained an authoritative persuasion, could not help but ask why she was taking her with him at all. She had, of course, received an invitation as well. But when Ciel came knocking requesting for them to appear together at the party, Lizzy had more than enough questions that needed actions. Ciel was unable to get through Lizzy's stubbornness, so he resorted to telling her about the new mission the queen had asked for. He suddenly felt that since she had proved to be very capable of killing off the living dead on her own, perhaps he could put her genius with the sword to good use. Elizabeth knew about the role of the Phantomhives, how every head was part of the underworld so many others hid from. With that knowledge, and what had happened in the Campania, he saw no point in hiding his watchdog duties from her. Some of the time. As always Ciel omitted certain details, but that was enough to satisfy Lizzy. Now she sat across from him, giving glances out the carriage window hoping to arrive at their destination soon. Sometimes she would pat down her skirts, knowing full well that her two rapiers were neatly tucked in between the layers.

The young ear's mind wandered during the ride. He remembered Sebastian's report, and the protection of the mansion. He wondered if, seeing how this magic affected his demon, perhaps it could affect humans as well. Though, thinking of it more logically, if the Nightingale household was holding a ball after the end of the season where a high attendance rate was expected then perhaps the mansion's defenses would be lowered for the occasion. That's what he was counting on, at least. Leaving plans to chance was not in the style of the queen's watchdogs. Ciel's was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard Lizzy loudly announce her findings from her window view.

"I can see it! We're almost there!" She said, stretching her neck to get the best view.

The mansion became invisible as soon as the carriage turned on Owl Lane. The road became less bumpy and more smooth, opening up to a trail of black concrete that led directly to the mansion ahead. The building was a steely gray color, but in the light of the setting sun, the dull grey seemed to have an blue-orange glow. There were other carriages in view as the carriage trotted around the circular mall to come to a halt at the stone steps that led toward one direction: A large set of dark wooden doors with intricate carvings of birds and flowers.

The carriage door was opened by Sebastian, whom greeted the passengers with a bow. First came out Edward, who was impeccably dressed in a tan suit with an off white blouse that complimented the lights of sunset. He wore a top hat that matched his suit.

Ciel came out next, and Sebastian could not help but grimace a little as he suddenly remembered the color of his young master's clothes.

Ciel wore a suit that was burgundy in color; his suit pants came to his ankles, a look that made him appear taller and more mature. His black silk blouse hugged his lean figure topped by a golden waistcoat with a deep neck, thoroughly showing off his ruffled golden tie His coat was tailed and the buttons gold. It was a color scheme and clothing kind Ciel was not used to wearing, but made the necessary choice in order to impress the guests that will surely devour him with bewildered eyes and the debutante. Of course, he did keep his heeled black shoes which gave an extra boost to his current height.

Ciel turned and reached out his hand toward the carriage, and a young lady gingerly took his hand with a firmness of anticipation.

Elizabeth Middleford could be described as the ideal beauty for their time; fair skin with rounded green eyes, and blonde hair that fell in large ringlets framing her face and back. The top of her hair was tied back into s braided bun tied by a black bow. Her attire was specifically made to match Ciel's; her outer skirts were a burgundy that was slightly lighter than Ciel's but complimented the black inner skirts that peeked out from her knees to the ground. The black sleeves laced around her shoulders down to accent her upper breast area, showing that she was becoming a well endowed woman. She wore golden elbow length gloves that matched the hundreds of little strips of lace and ruffles that adorned the dress in stripes on her torso and skirts.

Ciel had not properly seen Elizabeth since they boarded the carriage, but now that he was escorting her out with her hand in his he took a thorough and long look at his fiancé. Perhaps in the past Ciel thought she was cute in an endearing way, but now she thought Lizzy looked absolutely stunning in her burgundy dress which he himself had requested to Nina. He could not stop himself from lightly blushing upon looking on her exposed shoulders and breast.

Lizzy could not believe that her fiancé was suddenly ogling her appearance and she let a small snort followed by giggles that only made Ciel turn away shyly.

When the lady was finally on firm ground, Ciel hesitantly offered her arm to her with his cheeks still rosy and began to climb the stairs. Silently, Edward fumed as he saw the entire exchange.

Sebastian was willing to forgive the seamstress's designs this time around, even if red still made the young lord look childish. It was almost worth it because he got a kick out of seeing the boy so uncomfortably flustered. Almost.

The hum of people in formal attire and jovial mood could be heard from behind the doors as they approached the footman.

The footman, a simple man with slicked blonde hair and black suit with a red waistcoat, greeted them with a bow and deep voice.

"Welcome to the Nightingale estate. I'm Richard, the footman of this house. I am pleased to welcome you this night" he said with impeccable manners.

Ciel acknowledged the footman with a bow, and reached into his right pocked to pull out the golden tickets that were sent to both Ciel and Lizzy respectively.

The footman took their tickets and read the names.

"Welcome, my Lady, my Lords. Right this way" he motioned to the entrance, making way for them to pass.

Before he disappeared into the door, Ciel called to Sebastian.

"Park the carriage and meet us inside"

Sebastian just bowed and then quickly hopped back on the carriage in order to move it away for the next carriage, which was close behind carrying more guests.

Ciel explained to the footman that the butler was with them, which automatically granted him entry. The footman nodded and the aristocrats entered the mansion.

The inside of the mansion was something that should be in a famous renaissance painting. The entire place was lit by various brass lanterns on the walls that were decorated by flying bird statues underneath them. From behind the door one could see the open space of the ballroom and two staircases that curved into a type of arch to the second floor. The tall walls had large paintings of medieval times, of knights and royalty and mythical creatures in intense detail. And the center piece, high above where of the arch of the staircases met, was a huge chandelier made of hundreds of clear crystals lit by candles that made them shimmer like tiny suns.

The room was filled with layers of dress and suits, mingling and waving feathered fans at their faces. The atmosphere was ideal for a party; peoples voices were cheerily buzzing, ladies were flirting and the lively song of a live orchestra coordinated with the rhythm of the ball's excited murmurs of the crowd. It appeared to be like any other ball of the season; but everyone there knew this was no ordinary ball. To them, the sudden return of a old and noble lineage was something worth seeing and knowing. A lone descendant rising from the ashes of the extinct family. The disappearance brought as many questions as the execution of the Romanov family in 1918; though of course, no one really dared to openly discuss the Nightingale family. The Romanovs were Russian, their extinction happened away from the mother land and it happened so long ago it was treated like a legend. But since the noble Nightingales descended from a past king of England and were mysteriously wiped out like the Romanovs, the nobles of England feared speaking about them would bring about the same tragic fate upon their own families. So they kept their thoughts to themselves for the most part, though there was no hesitation in the burning curiosity in their eyes as each family greeted the Lady Nightingale.

The footman, with an unexpectedly booming voice, announced.

"The Lady and Lord of Middleford, and the Earl of Phantomhive!"

Time seemed to slow down as they walked down the carpeted lane to greet the celebrant. Eyes narrowed and heads turned, for it was very rare to see a Phantomhive at such a formal and frivolous event. But the attention was short lived as they finally got within the vicinity of Lady Helena.

She was stood at the base of the stairs in front of a pair of large wooden doors, with a tall woman behind her. Ciel was now close enough to take in the appearance of his current subject. She was as tall as Elizabeth but with a fuller form, clearly declared by the corset under her dress. The dress itself was a gorgeous ivory color whose skirts fell to the ground with an explosion of crimson accents. covered her feet. Every piece of lace, every bow, every drape was covered in red. Even her gloves were red, and on her left ring finger she wore a magnificent ruby ring on a golden band.

Edward and Elizabeth greeted Lady Nightingale first.

"Nice to meet you" said Lizzy, grabbing her skirt for a formal bow.

"I am Elizabeth Midford. But you can call me Lizzy! I hope we can be friends! It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Nightingale"

Lizzy held out her hand, smiling sweetly. The girl, who seemed to blush lightly at Lizzy's jovial greeting, accepted her guest's hand and shook it.

The Lady had a soft rounded face with naturally rosy lips that was sharply defined with a cupids bow. Her nose was soft and small, with a sharp upturned point. Her eyes were a bright shade of brown, paired with sharp brows high on her face. Her hair was tied back in a half up do with a bun tied together by braids and a large red bow. It was the color of milky earl grey with a brown undertone, straight and soft as silk. The locks that weren't tied back fell in long, smooth creeks down past her hips. Framing her face were strategically cut bangs and short strips of angular hair, bringing out her round facial features. A mythology maniac would probably compare her to a pixie.

"Call me Helena, the Lady part sounds too formal. Please, I hope you enjoy your stay" she replied sweetly, bowing her head.

Gesturing to the woman behind her, she merrily introduced her as Miss Lilian Gunter, her tutor and governess. The woman was tall and a bit rounded at the hips, but she was robust even under her layers of dress. She held a stern, angular face that resembled a greyhound and her head was topped with platinum blonde hair that was slicked back and came down around her shoulders and back. Her icy blue eyes were alert as if she could see through every wall. Gunter bowed silently, acknowledging the guests but not saying a word.

Edward, who was dumbfounded since laying eyes on Helena, had forgotten he was staring until Lizzy grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to Helena.

"And this is my older brother, Edward!" Lizzy announced.

Helena grinned and giggled a bit as Edward took her hand in his, mostly due to the young man's sudden bashfulness. Not that she hadn't gotten used to being looked at enough already; the night was still young and it was nowhere near over.

But she was glad to find that at least this once, someone was looking at her with admiration rather than ambition.

"My Lady" said Edward, bringing up her hand to kiss it. "It is an honor to meet you this night. We are glad to have been invited"

Without saying anything else, Edward retreated to the background leaving room for his future brother-in-law to take the stage.

Ciel could only briefly profile the lady as he took the hand with her ring to kiss it, as formalities. In looks she had a gentle demeanor and was easy on the eyes, even to his own rugged tastes. But like Elizabeth, he saw a posture and a shine in her eyes that spoke of a hidden intelligence waiting to spring to life.

"I'm Ciel Phantomhive. Just like you, I too am the head of my family. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance" said Ciel in a cool and collected tone.

The queen had requested to get to know the revived Nightingale family, which solely consisted of one person. Since their circumstances had similarities, Ciel decided to do a sympathetic approach to relate to the girl in front of him. Openly letting her know that he was the only Phantomhive was one step towards winning over the girl's trust.

"I see" Helena replied curtly, but did not even think to pause. "I have heard many things about you, Earl Phantomhive. It certainly is a pleasure to meet you. I'm glad you accepted my invitation"

Ciel did not even need to ask her what she might have heard. Despite being on the scene of a noble for such a short time, it seemed she did not waste a single minute to lollygag. This one was well prepared.

"I felt honored to be invited by a family of such noble lineage" replied Ciel, eyeing the ring with genuine interest and planned what to say next.

"I must say that your ring is quite exquisite. Burmese ruby, I'm guessing by the richness of the color"

At this the girl actually widened her eyes. Pulling her hand away, she looked at her own ring and broke into a playful smile that seemed to match the brilliance of the ruby.

"You're quite right. It is a Burmese ruby. It has been passed down to one successor to the next, it has as much history as it does in value. Because of how vivid the color is it was nicknamed the phoenix ruby. I'm impressed, Phantomhive" she said without taking her eyes off the boy, squinting as if she were analyzing him. That is how it appeared to Ciel, at least.

But before the exchanged could continue, she put on an excited face and took center stage once mode.

"Perhaps I have spoken too much. The dinner begins in an hour, so until then please enjoy yourselves"

Ciel, Lizzy and Edward bowed and gave her birthday wishes (Gaining Edward a bit of red to the face) and turned to get lost within the crowd.

It didn't take long for Ciel and the Midfords to split up, as Ciel was looking for when Sebastian finally entered the room.

After a couple of minutes, elsewhere, Lizzy had escaped her brother for a couple of seconds to turn back to Helena. Lizzy knew better than to get jealous of this girl; Ciel had explained that he needed to get on this woman's good graces, and she knew that the flattery and politeness he had shown were for that purpose alone. But then there's the girl's fairy-like beauty, her rank (higher than a Marchioness) and her apparent charisma that Lizzy had acknowledged. Even if she didn't want to, she felt the slightest bit of jealousy. Of course, that didn't stop her from approaching the dutchess once more; her pride would not openly admit it, but she was just as curious as everybody else in the ball about the reappearance of a once-dead family line. Perhaps even more so since the heiress had become the objective of the queen's watchdog. So by association, Lizzy should get to know the girl too even if it caused the occasional jealous flare. She took her time getting to the base of the stairs, drinking in the mansion appearance from the first floor.

Helena beamed when she saw that the Midford girl had returned. A couple of other curious young ladies were already there by Nightingale, their eyes glowing as if they were looking at a piece of meat. Then she noticed the young men eyeing her from a distance.

"Ahh, Elizabeth. Glad to see you. I hope everyone that came with you is enjoying themselves. Yourself included" said Helena.

Lizzy could not help but smile herself, knowing that she too was drawn in to the girl's gentle demeanor. She remained sharp, remembering why she had insisted to come in the first place; she wanted to assist Ciel in any way she could. If she was to start with her abilities to socialize, that would satisfy her. Lizzy only hoped she would not come to regret it.

"I am, very much. This place is gorgeous! So rich of history and detail", said Lizzy, "you have to tell me who hosted this wonderful event, too! The music, the room, the mood. It's all just right."

Lizzy thought it wouldn't hurt to throw in a little more flattery. It seemed to work like a charm, because Helena reddened a little in the face.

"Well, if you really want to know...how can I say no to such a pretty face?" She said, taking Lizzy's hand and suddenly pressing close to her. It was Lizzy's turn to turn pink.

Leaning into her ear, Helena answered her. "I'd have to find my hostess first. She can't really stand still for more than ten minutes, honestly! So I let her roam and make sure things were running smoothly. She's very easy to spot, though..."

Helena stretched out her face to search the guests for whom she was looking for, and then pointed when she had found what she was looking for.

Lizzy was too busy thinking about how this girl seemed to be too touchy, as ironic as it was, for her to notice Helena's excitement. But she didn't need to, because she spotted the hostess without any assistance. In fact, she understood why she was so easy to spot.

Across the hall, Sebastian had entered the hall and was easily gliding through the crowd as if they were made of mist. He was looking for Ciel, as per planned, and they were to rendezvous on the top flight of the stairs where there were less people around. When that happened, Sebastian would inspect the mansion from the inside and gather as much information as the mansion could provide.

Ciel was already at the top of the stairs and he spotted his butler approaching from afar. He could also see Lizzy directly below, once more speaking to the Lady Nightingale and was now trapped into a face pressing sideways embrace. That made him smile a little. Lizzy seemed to look distracted until she averted her gaze up ahead. At the same time, Sebastian stopped.

Ciel was confused. His butler, pausing in the middle of an order. That's when he saw her.

It was a woman in a midnight blue dress who was gracefully pacing with a perfect posture and a serious expression that radiated confidence. Her gown reached to the to her feet with a small train on the back gliding the ground. She wore black wrist length gloves decorated with blue lace at the cuffs. Her shoulders were exposed, her skin coated with a natural caramel color as if kissed by the sun. Her hair was striking; it was the color of flames, alive with hundreds of curls falling like waterfalls of sunset along her back. Like the celebrant, her hair was tied into a half up do with a braid encircling, but it was more loose and free as a long braid trailed down from the bun. Wisps of fiery hair rebelliously hung from her forehead and framing her face. It was obvious to anyone who took a glance that the woman possessed a beauty that was both alluring and dangerous. Her high cheekbones and full lips were bare in their full glory, and with a button nose she almost resembled the Greek goddess Persephone. Her large, deep set eyes, the color of ancient amber, intensely watched over every angle of her surroundings, her long and dark lashes brushing gently as she blinked. There was something in the way she moved that reminded some onlookers of a silent queen watching over her subjects, but to those who really observed, her semblance was more of a lioness prowling in silent ferocity.

With a jolt Ciel came back to reality. He realized that there was something eerily familiar in the woman who had drawn him in. Maybe it was in her stance, the hypnotic irises of her eyes...eyes that held traces of a hunger that could not be described.

He looked downward again, and saw that Sebastian remained unmoving. He struggled a bit to see from that distance, but it was clear as day that the butler looked...star struck. Ciel never expected to use that kind of term for the demon, whose only two default emotions were anger and amusement. That's when he saw that Sebastian's eyes were locked on the woman in the blue gown. It was no surprise to Ciel, as he begrudgingly admitted, that any ordinary human male would have the automatic response of staring at such a stunning female specimen. But Sebastian, who seemed to have no apparent interest in anything else but his aesthetics (and cats), stood there staring at the woman like a hungry dog. Or more like a bumbling hormonal idiot, Ciel thought.

"That's her. She's the one who organized everything, sent out the invitations, hired the staff," Helena told Lizzy with pride, "and designed our gowns. My birthday would have been a failure without her."

Lizzy absentmindedly nodded as she took a good long look at the red haired woman.

"Incidentally," continued Helena, "she's my head butler. So I guess it's no surprise that she does everything to perfection."

"What?!" Lizzy shrieked in surprise.

Lizzy, who no longer cared about how close she was to the girl, could only stare in awe. Being a swordsman, Lizzy had an eye for how people handled themselves. The woman in the blue gown was in full alert, ready to leap at any sign of danger. Lizzy could see that from her posture, the sharpness of her collarbones, and her arms that this woman was not just some ordinary servant; she had an immense capacity for strength that more than likely make her formidable in combat. It was familiar to another butler she knew. In Lizzy's mind, the woman made her number one in her potential danger list. She automatically patted the skirts where her swords were tucked.

Lizzy would have walked away then if it weren't for Helena speaking cheerily. She knew that if she was going to be of any help to Ciel, that it was in her best interest to comply Lady Nightingale's whims. For the most part, she thought. It seemed to her that the young woman had taken a quick interest in her, and perhaps thought she could give the girl a chance to get close. Lizzy didn't really have any close female friends, and from the looks of it Helena didn't either. It was to be expected since she had been in the scene for such a short time, thought Lizzy. So she threw the young dutchess a bone to chew on by lending her ear.

While Helena diverted Elizabeth's full attention, someone else's attention was locked into place.

Sebastian had gone into a sort of trance when he laid eyes on the woman in blue. He had scented it before, a sweet and alluring aroma that was all too familiar radiating in all corners of the place. It was so strong it was almost intoxicating. At first Sebastian could not identify the source of the scent but it wasn't long after he entered the mansion that he spotted her. Not only was her scent sending mad bursts of lust in his veins, but it also kept him frozen in place. He knew he had to get to Ciel, whom he already spotted at the meeting place. He was wildly aware that his initial suspicions were correct. When his initial lustful urges eased, Sebastian stood for a moment to simply take in the woman that had stopped him in his tracks. She was beautiful as a deadly goddess that could bend any to her will. She could see the delicate veins in her neck, the colorful full lips that were almost cherubic, and curls that could be compared to a burning inferno. All the answers he sought were in plain sight.

As if the woman could sense his eyes, she stopped her pacing and slowly turned.

Their eyes locked, amber and wine collided, and for a split second, the planet ceased to exist.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Wooooow holy fuck that was long but the fact that I am actually able to write this much is a very good thing. The pawns are gathering one by one, and the Queen of this game appears (metaphorically speaking). The ball continues onto the next chapter. En garde!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Within the Iris Blooms

One moment it was the flow of time, slowed to a halt; the sounds of the voices fading to a hush. A subtle warmth flowing within their veins, and their consuming gaze.

Neither moved a muscle. The woman's amber eyes did not falter. The man's crimson eyes took the amber in. Memorizing one another.

A prick of instinct. The slow return of sound in an orchestra's crescendo. Remembering what time was.

Then it was over.

In a blink of an eye, she was gone; and the scene flowed once more.

Bright lights and music, the hum of voices. He remembered. Someone was waiting for him.

With heavy breath, Sebastian finally stepped forth and continued his trek to Ciel. Though his mind was fogged by what had transpired only moments ago.

He had laid eyes on something rare.

A rarity, he realized as his focus returned, that could turn the tides.

Ciel scowled when his butler finally joined him on the second floor. The taller man gave a brief bow with a solemn expression and distracted gaze.

"Forgive me for making you wait, my Lord. I lost my composure before" apologized the butler.

The young earl only sighed. Reprimanding would have to wait.

"Let's not waste any more time than we already have" he said, leaning on the railing of the top landing.

From there one had a panoramic view of the ballroom and entrance. He could spot Lizzy, who had finally joined her brother. The governess of Lady Nightingale, standing by her mistress, still and tall as a statue. The guests in formal dress, socializing and dancing without a care in the world.

"The dinner will begin soon" Ciel started, still looking out to the ballroom below.

"When everybody is in the dining hall, you will do as we discussed. Search the mansion for any clues. Remember not to report to me until we get back home. I'd rather not draw any more attention than we already had by simply attending"

Sebastian stood at attention, but he had something to add in.

"My lord" he spoke, again with the same solemnity he had obtained earlier.

Sebastian turned around to face his butler. There it was again, thought the earl. The same spark in his eyes from that day in the study.

Sebastian took this as his cue to go on.

"Now that we're here, I can sense that same magic that was sealing the front door before. Though its deeper within the house. It could be possible that I could very well be-"

"Caught?" interrupted Ciel as soon as he realized the implication.

Sebastian sighed and gave a curt nod.

"Exactly right, my lord. I think it would be wise for both of us to be careful"

The butler's advice resonated with an ominous ring. It wasn't very like Sebastian to be this serious, let alone bother to give some kind of warning for him.

Ciel knew something was up. Something Sebastian wasn't telling him. It was deliberate, the boy knew, yet this time it didn't appear that the demon was just doing it to spite him. So Ciel held his tongue, and decided to wait until they were in the safety of the Phantomhive estate. Giving the benefit of the doubt to his demon was new all in on itself.

"I suppose I can agree with you on that" said the earl, internally scoffing at such a notion.

Tip toeing and walking on thin ice wasn't the young watchdog's style.

On that note, they both returned to the party. Lizzy got a hold of him and wouldn't let go, though much like his butler his attention was wandering the mass of blurring lace and coat tails. One was looking for the blue dress that trailed silently, while the other sought out the golden shine of a pair of eyes.

The bong of a nearby church clock echoed in the evening, and the doors to the dining hall were opened. While the crowds began to gather, she reappeared again. Silent as ever but not hard to miss, she made sure that all guests entered the hall in orderly fashion. Along with her was Gunter, who barked at the blue woman over something. She simply smiled and patted the pale woman on the shoulder sympathetically.

Ciel didn't know what it was about her, but he could see a hint of mischief in her expression. A familiar type of mischief.

Soon enough he was pulled out of his thoughts by Lizzy once more, whom along with her brother, pulled inside the dining hall by the arm.

The hall was stunning as the rest of the mansion. The walls were decorated in floral arrangements of red and white roses carried by porcelain pots on marble stands shaped like Greek pillars. There were large windows on the east and west walls, letting the natural light of sunset filter through the room. In addition there was a much smaller chandelier on the ceiling, doing a much better job of illuminating than the kerosene lamps on the walls.

There were many small circular tables, and a large rectangular one at the far end of the hall. Each table had the China well set and clean, and a bottle of wine resting on a brass tub full of ice. There tags on each individual table, each containing the family names of the guests.

The lady Nightingale and her assistants were already at the largest table, which was further adorned with glass vases of lilies and candelabras and some deep red velvet curtains behind them. Four people besides the lady were seated there and, directly to the left of her, sat the woman with the blue dress, quietly speaking to the beaming debutante.

When the Phantomhives and Midfords found their table (seated together due to the marital ties), a casual conversation had started, and he was paying half attention to it.

"The decorations are just as exquisite! I think these tablecloths are made of silk!" Lizzy would say, with her brother nodding in agreement.

Seated in the middle of the hall, Ciel was able to get a much closer look at the red haired woman. When Lizzy noticed him staring, she remembered what she had learned from Helena earlier.

Tapping Ciel on the shoulder, Lizzy leaned into the young earl's ear and spoke with an urgent voice.

"So you see her too, huh? Helena told me she's the hostess for this party"

Now Ciel had full attention.

"Explains why she's seated with the guest of honor" replied Ciel, his thoughts finally starting to come together.

"Its to be expected, I think, since she is the head butler and all" said Lizzy matter-of-fact.

Ciel wasn't surprised. In fact, he almost expected something like this. She did have that feel to her that reminded him very much of his own butler. Now he knew why.

Sebastian, who had listened in to the aristocrats' conversation, smiled silently to himself.

The sound of a tapping glass echoed in the hall and the hum of voices died down.

On the far tables, Helena stood, and alongside her was her butler, in perfect posture.

"Before we begin, I'd like to thank all of you for taking the time to come out here tonight. Never did I think I'd have such a large welcome to this society" said Helena with clarity and confidence.

"I couldn't have done it without the support of my lovely staff, seated with me for this occasion."

Obligated applause. The other people with Helena briefly stood. It was a very colorful bunch.

"And of course, I'd like to thank my hostess and butler, Lucinda, who made everything possible from the music to the silver on the tables"

More obligated applause, followed by a hush as the woman in blue finally stood out.

She seemed unimpressed upon the many eyes glued to her frame.

When she spoke, however, it brought about a collective awe.

"I am very pleased to see you all gathered here this evening" she said in a husky voice.

She easily commanded the attention of the crowd.

"I am, in simple terms, touched…touched that my mistress is able to be in the company of the esteemed people of this land. Instead of repercussion, we experienced nothing but a warm welcome from all of you" she said, smiling sweetly.

"And for that" she gave a respectful dip of her head, "I am truly grateful"

As if on cue, Helena fished out the bottle of wine from the tub on her table.

"Now for a toast" said Helena cheerily. This brought a thrilled murmur from the guests.

"If the heads each household could open your wine bottles and serve them to the glasses of your family members, I would be forever thankful."

The pop of corks echoed almost endlessly in the dining hall. No one truly questioned this stray of tradition, rather, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. The wine ran down in sparkling waves amongst the smiles of each family.

Being the head of his family and to be wed to the Midford heiress, it was Ciel's job to serve the wine to his future family. Funny, he had never thought of it that way. It wasn't in his nature, but he let the moment pass. Fortunately for him he opened the bottle with ease, having watched Sebastian do it dozens of times before. Even the butler readily accepted the wine, without so much as a snarky remark. Of course, it helped that his line of vision was taken over by one thing alone. While waiting for the other families to finish pouring their drinks, Ciel watched the scene unfolding at the Nightingale table.

Helena first served Lucinda's glass, whispering to each other and smiling at each others private jokes. Then she served her staff, whom were all unique to the eyes of any noble.

Besides Lillian and Richard, there were two other members of the household staff. A muscular Asian man with his long black hair slicked back into a ponytail, and a young, plump African woman with wild hair puffs and lovely dark skin. They all regarded their lady with sincerity and respect.

"I think I understand" said Lizzy, bringing Ciel out of his observation.

Lizzy and Ciel looked at each other.

"I remember my own debut, and having my family sit next to me, conversing with them as we ate" continued Lizzy, "it was a lot of fun…I think…"

She turned to look out to Helena, who was embracing her staff lovingly.

"I think her staff are in place of the family she once had"

Ciel couldn't help but feel a kind of understanding. Out of the things he had told his fiancé, he mentioned that Helena was an orphan. Somehow this seemed to ignite a jealous spark in Elizabeth, probably due to the similarities Ciel shared with the very person his new job focused on. Seeing her now, though, Lizzy probably had a sudden change of heart.

"I think I judged her too harshly" she finally said, and snapped back to her cheery self by hugging her brother next to her tight while shouting how much she loved her big brother. No doubt Edward was internally puffing his chest.

Once she was sure everyone was ready, Helena tapped her glass once more, bringing the guests once again to attention.

Being the hostess, Lucinda was to lead the toast. She stood tall and secure, and once more spoke out to the waiting audience.

"A toast" she said, "to the Dutchess Helena Lou Nightingale, for her 16th birthday and her welcome into society"

Helena visibly blushed.

"And" said the woman, putting her gloved hand on her mistress' shoulder "to a fulfilling life."

The toast was made, and the sound of clinking glass echoed followed by cheering and louder applause. No doubt whatever suspicions the nobles had were washing away with the current mood of the debut of another one of their own. It only made their ambition greater. But for the moment, they let themselves be taken in by the party.

The dining hall doors opened once more and several servers entered the hall with metal carts. They glided between the tables with skill, serving the guests in silver platters. The first serving included a thick soup that had the savory taste of meat and lemon. The main course was a fine selection of seafood dishes like mackerel with a smoky flavor and mussels cooked in tomatoes and garlic, and even swordfish, a rare ingredient. All deliciously served with a fresh and organic tossed salad, the food was well prepared and well received by the awaiting crowd. When the main course was over, Lizzy commented on how this dinner was different from all the other many balls she had attended. Edward stepped in, making a statement about the main course being traditional Greek dishes. While it piqued Ciel's interest, it made the demon butler smile, who had sat quietly up to that point. Once in awhile, when no one was looking, he'd direct his gaze toward the far table in hopes of catching a glimpse to a new point of interest. Other than cats and his aesthetics Sebastian was never fixated on anything. Whatever the reason, Ciel thought, must be somehow important. But he couldn't anticipate just how important.

Once the main course was all done with, came the dessert. This time, instead of platters of food there were silver towers of pies, macarons, and cakes aplenty. The pies were made with the freshest apples and peaches with the most aromatic cinnamon, and the jellies in the macarons carefully preserved for a jubilant taste. The cakes left nothing to be desired; vanilla and chocolate mousse, soft and gentle on the taste buds clashed to create a harmonized flavor. Each table had a revolving platter with various small teapots; they contained different teas in order to match them to the dessert. A very utopian touch, Ciel thought, providing variety to cater to anyone equally.

Sebastian excused himself discreetly, quietly slipping out from the dining hall. All this was simply according to plan, so Ciel did not make a big deal out of it. Though he thought that with a certain woman having the eyes of a hawk, this was certain to be the more difficult part.

A few minutes later, the lady of the house spoke in a hushed tone to her trusted guard, whom quietly disappeared from the hall without being seen.

* * *

Being out of the noisy hall brought the silence the demon was usually accustomed to. He made use of this to become acquainted with the old building.

He ascended the staircase to the second floor, and promptly entered the main hallway. It was very wide and was dimly lit by candlelight and the only sounds were his very own footsteps. The wood smelled fresh and the creaking was minimal. The hall was carpeted with gold and red patterns.

Under each candelabra was a wooden statue of a bird in flight. Sebastian thought the motif if of the noble family was quite peculiar; there was always some connection to birds, in the family name, décor, and even on something as small as the seal on an envelope. Humans were sure a curious thing, with their odd need to fixate on a repeating theme.

Then Sebastian found himself at a crossroads. The house was divided into three sections; two long halls, and a shorter one that led to what looked like another staircase. Since he had to be thorough, he first went right. The doors to the rooms were all unlocked, so there really were not any trouble to investigate. He first stumbled across an extra bedroom with a bath within it, which led him to believe that it was simply a guest room. A water closet was placed beside the room for convenience. Right beside it was a room with a billiards table, a dart board, chessboard, deck of cards and various other games on the tables and well made furniture; a glass display cabinet was featuring an odd number of medals and trophies. Sebastian made haste, and did not stop to look into the cabinet and entered the next room across. He found a series of more odd rooms; three rooms, each connected to one another. One room was nearly empty except for a small table, a drawer wardrobe, a single chair, and many paint canvases in the corners and along the walls of the room. Another room was an obvious music room with both a grand piano and an organ; a desk near the window had a horde of sheet music sprawled over it. The third room, which was close to yet another set of stairs, was larger than the other two and had mirrors for walls. These three room were not carpeted, and instead, each had hardwood floors unlike the rest of the house so far which only had tile and carpet. It was safe to conclude that the owner of such a mansion had taken a liking to the fine arts. It was more of a minor detail, so he did not really dwell on it and moved on to the other wing of the second floor. He found another spare room which, much like on the other end, had a water closet next to it. Then he sensed it; a familiar feeling of heat on his fingertips, one he had experienced before. He turned to the hall to find a door at the far end, which was next to once more a flight of stairs. This door was locked, but with a simple maneuver that didn't involve kicking the door down, he was inside. This was a room he was able to immediately recognize as the master bedroom; more spacious than other bedrooms, with a bath and a walk in closet all connected into a single room. The Nightingale head slept in that very room, Sebastian thought that here is where the useful information would be. But despite how meticulously organized the room was, he could only find photos, theatre books, and plays.

The photos only revealed what he already knew; the owner of the mansion was the sole descendant of the Nightingale family, proven by a very old and very worn photograph of two adults and a child. Sebastian identified the faces as a match from the ones he read over in the files the queen sent, and there was no mistaking the child was in fact the same young woman he had seen earlier that night. He didn't exactly find it very useful in terms of the information he was ordered to obtain. Then again, he thought, at this point any information is better than none. After all, it was another strange case with hardly any ground to begin investigating with. Neither his master nor himself knew about the purpose of the Nightingale lineage returning, or how it was accomplished. Most of all, however, they had no clue about what this new family was planning. If they were planning anything at all. Without looking through any other photographs. Sebastian left the master bedroom.

The flight of stairs next to the room is where he headed to next. Judging by the structure, Sebastian recognized this passage as one of the four towers the house had; and from what he had seen, three out of the four gave access to each of the manor's floors. When he descended to the first floor, he heard a chorus of humming voices from a distance. Then there was that familiar feeling again, only this time it was right in front of him. Turning to approaching another shut door, he was invaded with a pleasant aroma; one he had encountered earlier when he and the lady in blue's eyes met. For a split second Sebastian was tempted to open the door, because he knew whom it belonged to. However, he hesitated, because he remembered the barrier from the other day. He got the two coins from his coat pocket he prepared in advance. He wanted to test a theory if the same barrier he touched before would be the same as the one that was in front of him. Taking a step back, he flicked the first coin to the door. It hit the wood with a thud, simply bouncing off the door and rolling away. Then he flicked the second coin. It didn't even make contact with the door, and was soon burnt to dust when the barrier activated and sparked.

Sebastian had guessed correctly. One of the coins was a plain one that had remained untouched for the whole day. The other coin, however, had been held constantly during the day by him in order to transfer some of his demonic energy onto it. This barrier responded to demonic energy, attempting to destroy the source. It explained why he got burned the way he did the first time. He had finally gained at least a bit useful information from his little experiment.

Knowing full well that he could not step near that particular room, he opted for going to the one across. The room was locked, but not protected by barriers. The room turned out to be simply a library; it was two stories high, and connected the first and second floors. There was quite the various collections books; books on language and other cultures, plants and home remedies, painting and poetry. There were books on mythology and epic tales of grandeur. The only conclusion he could draw was that the young lady of the household hungers for knowledge; something he couldn't exactly say about his own lord. While the library held a plethora of educational information, there was none pertaining to the task his lord was assigned to. He was beginning to think that all of this searching was a wild goose chase; either the monarch of the land was mislead, or they are the targets were doing the misleading. There was no way to know which at that point, and he was not supposed to make a ruckus. So he left it at that, and returned back to the hallway.

The first floor was structurally the same except that instead of one wide hall in the between the east and west wings, there were two central rooms dividing them. To the west was a well furnished room that could only be the parlor, and to the east was the real dining hall, much smaller than the area the party guests were seated. The placement made sense, since the the east wing of the house on the first floor was dedicated to the kitchen and other domestic chores. Sebastian was unable to specifically explore the east wing, because there were a lot of staff there shouting orders and tending to the ball's dinner. He expected to attract too much attention if he were to simply walk right on in, therefore he left the area unexplored.

There was one more place he needed to see that was readily accessible, one he had already seen from the second floor rooms; the greenhouse out on the back. He headed to the back tower he had used the stairs from, and found that the door there was already open. Without hesitating, Sebastian stepped outside. The sun had set, with a few lines of bright colors still crossing the horizon; the timid stars were beginning to appear, and a crescent moon already made it's place in the sky. There was patio space on either side of the back entrance, set with finely made table and chair sets enclosed by a concrete fence with pillars.

This particular greenhouse was significantly larger than the one his young master had; and when he stepped inside, it's as if he was in a much smaller world than the one outside. The paths through the greenhouse were made of stone, and there were plants in abundance; the rose bushes where the flower arrangement for the ball most likely came from, bushes of luscious hydrangea clusters at their prime. Very aromatic herbs and spices were planted and growing healthily, subtly reminding the butler of his kitchen back at the Phantomhive estate. A small patch of bluebells in one corner, daisies in another. It was it's own little ecosystem, even containing small birds that flew in and out freely from the open ceiling windows.

Between the sunroses and moonflowers, over to one of the far ends, and seated in a wooden bench, she was there. Surrounded by irises, she was quietly stroking the long fur of an orange cat in her lap. Its eyes were happily closed, purring like an engine. The woman's face was serene. All Sebastian could do was stare at both cat and woman. He did not plan for a close encounter so soon, but, he thought it could perhaps work to his advantage. A chance like this could indeed be considered a win-win for the demon.

"We have a wanderer it seems" she remarked.

When the man didn't respond, the woman chuckled.

"Good evening sir"

Recognizing a proper greeting, Sebastian snapped out of his minor trance, his gentlemanly manners coming to light.

"Good evening, my lady. I didn't mean to impose on your activities" he said, offering a courteous bow.

"You're not imposing. Only running a small errand" said the woman, flashing the butler an enchanting smile.

"She's…. Quite the lovely specimen" Sebastian replied, certain that she could see right through his composed façade. It wasn't only the cat he was focused on.

The cat mewed and yawned, wondering why her petting had stopped. She then directed her yellow eyes at the newcomer in front of her.

That was the last straw. Unable to control himself any longer, he made a face and gawked at the feline in pure adoration. He wanted to touch her soft fur, feel her purrs on his skin; look into those deep yellow eyes.

The woman must have found this gesture to be absolutely comical, because she started to laugh candidly. She then stood up, holding the cat in her arms, and walked up to Sebastian.

The demon stiffened upon the sudden proximity, his senses taking in the scent of forest she gave off; he was able to take a good look at her now; her thick dark lashes curled into miniature wings under her sharp eyebrows. She had defined cheekbones with a natural blush that perfectly blended with the bronze glow of her skin. Her lips were luscious and abundant, boldly showing off their playful russet hues.

"Would you like to hold her?", said the woman, smiling at the stricken man in front of her.

"Pardon?" Replied Sebastian in mid daze.

"The cat. You seem to be so stricken with her. She's quite friendly so it's just fine"

Sebastian took the cat from the woman; up close the feline was very large. She was already happily purring in Sebastian's arms as he began to scratch her behind the ears. He couldn't help himself to lovingly nuzzling the cat's face on his own. For the time being he didn't care about looking like a stargazed fool on front of someone; he wanted to enjoy the moment with the fluffy cat in his embrace.

"Aahh...your fur is so long and soft. And the colors, such vivid orange with those red stripes...you're also such a big lady too, what a wonderful feline you are my dear" he fawned, now squeezing her pink paw pads. The nuzzling continued as the woman simply observed him in amusement.

"Cats are quite beautiful and graceful. Their very nature makes you want to know more about them" she said, joining in to stroke the cat's back.

Sebastian could sense it once more. How close she was, the faint scent of flowers from being near the irises. Her amber eyes making contact with his once more.

It was her turn to gaze. She took in the glow of his ivory skin, almost doll-like beneath the light. Her eyes devoured the soft contours of his face, his crimson eyes shimmering like the most valuable of jewels. His raven hair looked soft to the touch, like a down of feathers waiting to be grasped. She took in his scent; the wind of a quiet night, the freshness of petrichor; and most pleasant was the essence of vanilla that was almost pacifying to the senses.

It was only until the enormous cat lunged at a passing insect and out of Sebastian's arms was enough to break their enchantment. It was now happily following it's prey, paws in the air and widened round eyes.

"But where are my manners?" said Sebastian, finally breaking the silence.

"I heard it earlier at the banquet...you're Lucinda Warden"

Lucinda gave a polite nod after she patted down her dress and gloves from any excess cat fur. "That's right" she agreed.

Now that someone had taken initiative, Lucinda felt compelled to find out more.

"And what do people call you?", she asked sweetly.

"Sebastian. Sebastian Michaelis, miss Warden" he said, taking a step forward and raising the woman's left hand, and softly kissed her gloved knuckles as was customary for the times. A current of energy flowed between them.

"Charmed to meet you...Sebastian" she said, pacing slow circles around him.

"Now tell me...what brings you here tonight?"

The demon was intrigued. "Pardon?"

"I asked" stated Lucinda, directly behind him now. "What brings you to this neck of the woods in this lovely summer night?"

She was bold, Sebastian thought to himself. He found it useful to humor her.

"I grew weary of the commotion of the banquet, so I excused myself for some fresh air" replied Sebastian, turning his head to view her even at an even closer proximity than before. It was a pleasant feeling.

"Perhaps I should have elaborated my question" said Lucinda, momentarily frowning. "But I suppose I can ask another time. I really should return to my mistress now, seeing her errand was fulfilled."

Without another word, she turned around and made her way out of the gardens, leaving behind Sebastian as if nobody had been there. The flash of her orange hair was the last to disappear quietly out of the greenhouse.

"Perhaps you're right, miss" Sebastian said to himself, "it's fine time I rejoin my master. The night is not over yet."

* * *

The dessert turned out to be a huge success with the guests of the party. It left them in a delightful warm mood where conversation was lively. Lizzie certainly had a good dinner, and even Ciel was surprised to find the desserts to be filling and very delicious. The sheer amount of detail put into the presentation, from the music to the food choices, left Ciel impressed from a noble's perspective. The young duchess had a lot of class, certainly living up to the standards of the country's aristocracy. He looked over to the host's table and saw one element missing; the butler at the lady's side. Or maybe he only imagined it, because next thing he knew there she was sitting by her master's side. He opted on not taking any more wine for the duration of the party, it was probably making him delirious.

Ciel noticed that Sebastian had not yet returned from his investigation. It initially alarmed him, since the dinner was practically over. He did not have to worry long, since Sebastian had returned and by the time he even thought of looking for the butler.

For a second time that night, the clinking of a glass resonated. Lucinda Warden stood, facing the audience with the same audacity as before.

"I hope all of you enjoyed the banquet tonight" she announced once more with confidence.

"Now we shall proceed to the dance. Please assemble back at the main hall, the music will start shortly" and with that the doors were opened, and the awaiting crowd slowly but surely poured back out.

Once out, Lizzy was absolutely beaming with excitement about the dance.

"Ciel, let's have the first dance! It will be a lot of fun!"

But when Ciel saw Sebastian looking at him inquisitively, he had to compromise.

"Elizabeth" he said, walking directly in front of her, grabbing her hand, "I accept your offer, but, there is something I need to do first. Will you wait for me?"

Elizabeth was already standing on clouds.

"Always, Ciel" she replied, meaning so much more than she realized.

With that out of the way, Ciel gestured for Sebastian to follow him. Like before, they went to the second floor landing. There weren't any other people around, so it was a relatively safe place to chat.

"Did everything go well? Be honest" asked Ciel, being the first to speak up.

"For the most part, yes" replied Sebastian.

"But?" Ciel urged.

"I had an encounter" said the butler.

"But it didn't interfere with my….walk, my Lord. I found it best to return to you sooner rather than later. My apologies, my lord" he said, giving a respectful bow.

Ignoring his apology, Ciel asked "Who was it that you met?"

Sebastian looked stricken by such a question. Walking to the stair railing, where one could see the whole ballroom, he stood there looking below.

Ciel followed, and looked over to where Sebastian's eyes had stopped. Facing away from them and near the banquet hall's door, there was a small group gathered. It was Helena Nightingale with her staff, the ones who sat with her for the dinner; and of course Lucinda Warden, whom was standing by the lady's side listening intently.

Ciel sighed. There was no need for Sebastian to answer his question, the answer was quite clear. It shouldn't have surprised him, the demon had his eyes on her since the moment he first spotted her in the crowd. The mysterious woman with the blue gown, quite the enigma she was turning out to be.

"I should be annoyed that your actions were compromised, however" began Ciel.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"...perhaps that isn't as bad a thing as I initially thought"

He couldn't help but wonder who she actually was. He had never heard of a butler being female, so she must have a fair amount of strength. He wondered what part she played in reviving a once dead bloodline. Then there was the question of the sole survivor. The queen wanted this family to be investigated. What could they have done to worry the queen? Or perhaps they posed a threat that only the queen saw. He wasn't sure. The mysterious dutchess and her woman butler, quite the enigma they were turning out to be.

"My Lord?", asked Sebastian.

"The dance is about to begin" said Ciel, heading for the stairs. Before he descended, however, he stopped to speak to his butler.

"I have a new order for you, Sebastian" he said without turning.

"I want you to encounter Ludinda Warden again. I'm sure that shouldn't be too difficult, or am I wrong Sebastian?"

Quite the strange order, thought the butler. He found it to be "You're certainly right, young master. I will see to it personally."

"Good, I'm holding you to that" said Ciel.

"Now let's go back. There is a young lady waiting for me"

* * *

A/N: LONG TIME NO SEE. Now that I FINALLY don't have to rewrite lost chapters anymore I can be a lot faster with these updates. The next chapter is the last one for the ball, I promise.

Ok so there is a reason i made the scenes where Lucinda and Sebastian encounter each other were intense. In my personal headcannon, when two demons dwell the human world within a close distance (i.e. 10 miles of each other and in this case, in the same room) at the same time and they meet, their first encounters will be very strong and intense. This intensity is doubled when the demons happen to be opposite sexes. They are otherwordly creatures of darkness it would be rare (in my headcannon of course) for two share the same 'territory'. Also, the more they meet, the less intense their encounters become as they grow accustomed to each other's demonic energy and eventually balance one another out. But that's just a theory. A GAME THEOR-br /

OK I'm done i gotta write more. Hopefully this all makes sense.

P.S. Sebastian would totes have a natural vanilla scent the fuck you mean.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: And now back to the final segment of this long ass party. Enjoy.

Chapter 5- Pyra

When the orchestra began to play once more, the spirits of the ball elevated to an all time high. Pairs emerged, one by one, hand in hand, young and old.

Lizzy positively beamed when Ciel stuck to his promise by asking her to the first dance. The music played harmoniously, the pair dancing to the rhythm. Despite Ciel's initial clumsiness, he eventually learned the flow of the dance and made sure to continue to do so. Those extra dance lessons seemed to be paying off, he thought. The one good thing to come out of his daily routine. Holding her waist, and holding her hand, Ciel looked directly into his fiancé's eyes; she was truly lovely under the light of the chandelier, her form felt secure and tuned under his touch. Her green eyes joyous emeralds that always had sincerity looked back at him with an unspoken devotion.

"Ciel" said Lizzy, feeling her fingers shift around in his.

Ciel felt a warmth creep across his face.

"Yes?" he responded, hoping that his skin tone was still in tact.

"I'm happy, Ciel" she said, "I know...that we're here for your very important task"

Lizzy lightly squeezed her hold on Ciel's shoulder.

"Even so, I am very glad we're here. I'm glad you brought me, Ciel. I'm…"

She was cut off as Ciel twirled her out of his embrace and back, this time having her body press even closer to his. Lizzy visibly reddened, dazed by the boldness of her dance partner.

Ciel saw Lizzy's look of surprise, and wondered if maybe he was too abrupt with his actions.

"I seemed to have cut you off there, Elizabeth. You were trying to say…?"

For whatever reason that Ciel did not understand, Lizzy burst into a fit of giggles. The pair stopped while Lizzy's body doubled over in laughter, Ciel simply holding her without knowing how to respond.

" Lizzy…?" he started, but then he felt a warm hand gently caress his face.

Lizzy could not help reaching out to this boy; the one she had grown up with, the one she loved the most; and now there he was, trusting her enough to be of help to his guard dog duties, and trying his best to show her his gentleman side.

"Don't worry about it, Ciel" said Lizzy.

"I'm just having so much fun!"

He knew he was overthinking it. His fiancé could be too trusting, and often very forward (especially since the Campania), but those were some of the traits that made her endearing. Somehow, lately, Elizabeth had become a breath of fresh air from an otherwise polluted environment.

Lizzy was amazed to see Ciel give her one of his very rare smiles.

Meanwhile, Helena found her situation kind of odd. She knew nobles had a liking to dancing, it was very clear from the many party guests already out on the floor. However, she wondered why she wasn't asked out to dance. It was true that she was new to the scene but still, she wanted to dance even if it was for formalities. Even the earl Phantomhive and his fiancé Elizabeth were out there, despite how clumsy the whole dance was. She did notice that there were people around her, at a distance, but none were approaching. Helena couldn't figure out why, seeing that only Gunter was there with her. Her butler had gone back to wandering, and the rest of her staff were making final preparations for the night.

If only she knew that Gunter's very stern and very angry expression at her side was what made people too intimidated to approach.

The first dance ended without much luck for the young lady, and she was was about ready to throw in the towel when one person emerged from the crowd and came to stand in front of her, lightly bowing in formality.

"May I have the honor of having this dance, my lady?" Said the young man, at attention once more and holding out his hand.

Helena was very pleased to see that the person in front of her was no other than Edward Midford, brother of Lizzy. Helena had taken a quick liking to the marchioness, and seeing her first dance partner older brother made Helena feel more secure. After all, who knew how many other sketchy characters might have made the first move.

"I thought no one would ever ask" replied Helena, and grabbed hold of Edward's eager hand. Gunter said nothing, but instead gave a soft smile.

Together, they made quite a stunning sight; Edward's firm and sure step, and Helena's natural grace gave them a nice dynamic.

Taking a rest from the first dance, Lizzy proudly observed her brother from a distance.

Lizzy could not help but giggle.

"Look at him out there! He actually asked her to dance. I thought he would stay starstruck forever!"

While that could be said about Edward, Ciel could not say the same about his butler. While the nobles danced the night away, the butler did nothing but observe from afar. Even now, his eyes were keenly wandering the crowd.

Sebastian was leaning against a wall, waiting for any sight of Lucinda. She was an elusive one, he had not gotten sight of her since the dancing began. He knew she was around, her scent said as much; but just before he saw her earlier that evening, she was a blur in the crowd. Sebastian had decided to actively search himself, but found no need to do so.

When the last note of the second dance died away, there she stood, a couple of feet away with a surprised expression to her.

Slowly, Lucinda approached Sebastian with sure steps. There he was again, the beautiful man that had wandered into her greenhouse gardens. The one who looked at her with such intensity, even now. She found that once more, the initiative was hers, since the man had gone back to the speechless gazing.

"Hello again, Sebastian" she said, giving her signature smile. She truly was glad to see him again, there was so much about him she wanted to know.

Seeing her smile again, he thought, was the highlight of an otherwise boring social event.

"We meet again, miss Lucinda" said Sebastian.

This time, he took hold of the woman's gloved left hand and brought it to his lips, giving it a fluttering kiss. Lucinda quivered under the touch.

From a distance, Ciel saw a pair that stood out from the best. A gentleman in black, whom was his own butler; and a woman in a dress the color of midnight, whom he recognized as Lucinda Warden. Things were progressing as he had ordered.

"Dear me! Is that my Lucinda?" said a voice behind them.

It was Edward and Helena, whom looked vibrant from the last dance they had together. Edward was especially feeling pleasant, puffing out his chest in pride like a bird fluffing out its feathers.

"Helena! Edward!" Lizzy called, grabbing Helena's hands happily.

"Hello again, Miss Lizzy" replied Helena, her natural blush even lovelier than before.

"Helena! I thought I asked you to call me Lizzy!"

"Oh! You're completely right, Lizzy. I will be sure to remember it this time" replied Helena with a nod.

"That's it! Now tell me! Was my brother good to you? Be honest here, we're friends now you and I!" said Lizzy mischievously.

Edward visibly reddened at his sister's tease.

"H-hey! Sis!" Edward began to protest, until Helena interrupted to answer the question in hand.

"I can assure you, Lizzy, that your brother was on his utmost behavior. He was a very good dancer, and I quite enjoyed myself as well"

Lizzy looked over to her Edward, whom was redder than ever but ever so glad for the praise.

"I am glad to hear it!" she replied.

Helena distractedly attempted to look over Lizzy's shoulder, trying to get a closer look at her servant ahead.

"Helena?" Called Lizzy intriguingly.

"Say, Lizzy" spoke Helena in a softer tone, "that man over there, with my servant. Do you know who he is?"

Lizzy was not confused for long, because when she turned around, there she saw Sebastian with the ball's hostess, hand in hand. Ciel, whom had been lost in his own thoughts up to that point, answered for Lizzy.

"That's just my butler, Lady Nightingale" he said.

"I didn't see him with you before" mumbled Helena low enough for Ciel not to notice.

Feeling like she was being watched, Lucinda looked back to where her mistress was standing, along with the Earl Phantomhive and his fiancé.

"Looks like we have an audience" she said, tilting her head in a pointing gesture.

"Why don't we engage with them, then?" suggested Sebastian.

Lucinda sighed.

"I suppose that would be best"

Ciel watched as the two butler began to walk toward their masters, closely side by side and in sync. He thought that the two had a very unique dynamic, even if they have only known each other for a couple of hours at most. There were also the similarities when it came to how they presented themselves; composed and precise with the stance of regality that was ever so present. He'd have to think about these things in more depth at a later time.

"Good evening to you my lords, my ladies" said Lucinda, bowing politely.

Once the pair had joined the group, Ciel was able to see the woman who had smitten his butler. He was taken aback at how striking she truly was up close. Not incredibly tall but with perfect posture, her muscular arms and shoulders were bare to the world. A well developed bossom topped with a face any human would fawn over, crowned with an impossibly curly mane. Ciel would have gawked like an idiot if he was anybody else without a sense of self control.

He also found, much to his dismay, that the two butler complemented each other very well.

"He wasn't with me when we greeted you earlier, Lady Nightingale" said Ciel.

"I present my butler, Sebastian Michaelis"

Sebastian stood in front of the lady, and bowed deeply.

"I serve the Phantomhive household. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Dutchess Nightingale. I welcome you into society, and I do hope you are having a wonderful birthday"

Helena, whom had her eyes glued to Lucinda up to that point, smiled.

"You are very kind, Mister Michaelis. It's very nice to meet you as well"

Looking at the lady now, Sebastian was able to see some resemblance to his own master; the need for accurate articulation, the solemn air she carries, the spark of cleverness in her eyes that were in this case bright and wholesome. He was sure of his theories now.

Still, his job wasn't done yet.

"Wow, she's very pretty" said Lizzy, letting her thoughts slip out.

Lucinda chuckled at the outburst.

"That's very sweet of you, my lady. I'm flattered"

"Oh my goodness! You heard me? I apologize miss, I was just thinking out loud" said Lizzy, all flustered and awkward knowing she had blurted out such a comment.

"Don't you worry yourself, Lady Midford" said Lucinda, "You have a good heart, don't ever be ashamed of that"

For a second, Lizzy was taken aback upon hearing that last statement. Lizzy had kept her guard up to any encounter with the Nightingale butler from the beginning, knowing that without a doubt she was potentially dangerous. After what the woman had said, however, Lizzy did not know what to think. The sincerity felt genuine, and her amber gaze was warm. She had let her guard down while playing the role of loving fiance, perhaps a little too much. However to the ever observant Lizzy, the woman in front of her did not pose a threat to her family anymore.

Before their interaction could continue any further, Helena intervened.

"Good! Now that we're all introduced, we can return to the party at hand" Helena said, pointing to a small group that was gathered at a distance. It was a group of young boys, whispering to each other.

"It seems that after my first dance the ice was broken. It's a relief. But now I know I will have sore feet!" she said.

"They're all lining up like school boys…" Ciel muttered amusingly.

Helena turned to leave, but remembered something she had to say.

"Lucinda, dear, you're doing such a wonderful job overseeing this ball. Have a break, you earned it"

"That works out very nicely, my Lady" Lucinda replied, looking up at Sebastian, "because this fine gentleman asked me out for a dance"

For a split second, Ciel could have sworn Helena's eyes darkened. It was only for a moment, because at the next she was back to her delicate demeanor.

"Really? That's fantastic, Lucinda! It's about time you loosened up a little" said Helena with a mischievous glint.

"My Lady, must you always jest me this way?" replied Lucinda in mock annoyance, following along to her master's antics.

"You know I mean well" said Helena, "besides, I want you to enjoy yourself as well. It isn't a party unless everybody here can take part in it!"

At that, Lucinda chuckled.

"Well, I suppose you're right" she said, finally resigning to her mistress.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me…" she said, suddenly grabbing Lizzy by the arm. "Lizzy please accompany me!"

Before she could protest, Lizzy was dragged away by an eager Helena. Edward, not knowing how else to respond and hoping to have a turn to dance with his little sister, ran after them.

Ciel sighed, rubbing his temple.

"It's no different here than it is back at the manor. This lot is just as energetic" he said.

Turning to Sebastian, Ciel raised an eyebrow.

"And you, what are you standing around for? Don't keep a lady waiting"

"You're right, my young lord" he grinned, turning to Lucinda as Ciel walked away from the duo.

There she stood, silent and regal, knowing that her gentleman would return.

Silently bowing, he held out his arm to the beautiful woman who was more than eager to take it.

The first physical contact was pleasant and oddly soothing, sending waves of heat between them.

By the time the music began once more, they were holding each other closely. Sebastian held the small of her back, secretly pleased to find that she was not wearing a corset like most women of that time. When Lucinda held his waist, her thoughts raced with the desire to know more about the porcelain doll that had taken such an avid interest in her.

The space between them had closed as their bodies pressed into one another, sending a rush of adrenaline in their veins. Then they began their dance.

The steps of the waltz came as easy as breathing, with a disciplined grace and harmonious technique. Step by step they danced, black and blue flying to the tune.

From the other dancing guests came eyes of contemplation upon the new pair that had glided their way over to the center of the hall. Some gravitated toward them, hoping to get a closer inspection of the dazzling young duo that suddenly dominated the floor. Others made way, comfortable in taking in the odd pair out from afar.

Sebastian and Lucinda remained silent for the first part of the waltz. They easily made their way through the mass of guests, leaving them surrounded. But this was not bothersome to them, so they continued as if they weren't being watched at almost every step.

"You and I are alike" said Lucinda, looking intently at her leading dance partner.

Unable to look away, the demon played along.

"Alike" he said, leaning into his dance partner's ear.

"How _are_ we alike, Miss Lucinda?"

With a smirk, Lucinda took the lead of the dance and turned them both. A glow of the irises, a flash of shimmering red, feral pupils that would make anyone else cower. She had those kind of eyes; the eyes that were unmistakably sinister and familiar. By the time they joined again, the shimmer of gold returned in her gentle expression.

It was time for another turn of the waltz, though the gentleman in black coat tails had another thing in mind.

Grabbing the lady by the waist, he lifted her higher than any traditional waltz could have called for.

Lucinda felt her feet leave the ground; at her waist were firm and sure hands that raised her with tenacity. She let herself take in the sensation of flight and let her legs stretch out. Looking up at her was Sebastian, who was staring with such intensity Lucinda felt like she was fully exposed to the world around her.

Whether it was the height of the lift or the close contact they still maintained, both experienced the moment in slow motion.

Her feet touched the earth once more, leaving Lucinda with something she had not experienced in a very long time; a fervent perplexion she could not fully describe with words.

"Two of us within the same vicinity" said Sebastian, taking back the lead of the dance, "is a very rare occurrence indeed"

"Though it is for very different circumstances" said Lucinda, "we are right here, right now, sharing a simple dance"

It was Lucinda's turn to lean in closer, daringly reaching out to run her gloved fingers down the man's face, "I will imprint this moment...into my memory"

The final note of the waltz died with a decrescendo that slowed the world to a halt.

"You are quite the extraordinary dancer, my lady" said Sebastian.

"I can say the same about you, Sebastian Michaelis"

A toll of small bells could be heard over the humming of the now active crowd, preparing to dance once more. It interrupted the spell between a certain pair dressed in the colors of night. Sebastian released the woman from the close embrace, the warmth of their bodies still lingering in their very skin.

From within the layers of her dress, Lucinda pulled out a silver pocket watch with a bronze chain; it was a beautiful little piece with a carving of a large bird with magnificent feathers that was recognizable as the Nightingale family crest.

"Is it that time already?" murmured Lucinda.

"It was lovely to dance with you, Sebastian. But I must be off now" she said, giving a small courteous bow.

"Leaving so soon, my lady?" said Sebastian.

"I have to see to the preparations for the grande finale" said Lucinda, her face suddenly radiant at the mention of such an event.

Seeing her light up the way she did just then brought Sebastian to fully enjoy the close exchanges they have had thus far.

"I will look forward to it, then" he said, once more taking Lucinda's hand for a kiss. This time, however, his hold was tighter than before.

Eventually, Lucinda walked away leaving behind a pleased demon and a trail of floral scents from her time in the gardens.

Ciel was at a loss. Sebastian was following orders, Ciel thought, so it was no surprise how the butler decided to carry them out. Watching his butler from afar, he got the strange feeling that the demon was actually enjoying himself; a concept that never occurred to him. Sebastian was for the most part neutral in terms of how well he liked things in general, with the exception of cats, whom always gained an automatic adoration from the butler. There was always that beastly joy he gets when in bloodlust as well, which the demon wasn't shy to share. Then, seeing the way he handled this stranger, the way he held her close and even gained the audacity to lift her up in such a way confused Ciel even further.

The young noble didn't know who was more of an enigma; the subject of his investigation, delicate like a bird with a cleverness she hid, whom he still knew next to nothing about. Or her mysterious protector, a woman of inhuman beauty that that could sway anyone she dared contact with.

While Helena had been dancing with a few of the young nobles, Ciel had been observing the butlers from afar. Whispering to each other like old maids, their movements in sync with one another; and then the lift, an action so defined as well as uncanny it might as well as be out of a fairytale.

Ciel was startled to find that suddenly Sebastian had appeared at his side. The last dance had ended, and Lizzy was already bounding away with her brother for the next.

"So? How did it go?" Asked Ciel.

"It went quite splendidly, my lord" the demon answered.

"Where is she now, I wonder?" Ciel murmured.

"She's gone to take care of a few things", said Sebastian, "Mentioned y would a limit to how much one can show off"

"You think so, young master?" grinned Sebastian.

"She's a true noble alright." scoffed Ciel, "parading her fortune like a peacock, flaunting the mansion and it's decor, and since she's the new talk of the town she's flirting about like her life depends on it"

Sebastian remained still, listening intently.

"Yet…"

Yet she somehow dug her way back to the top, thought Ciel. She found a way, just like he had. Took the spider's thread and climbed it, all the way up to the light; and now here they were, with the luminous ballroom and the music of the night echoed freely. The glamour of youth, draped like a soft blanket on a cold evening. To anyone else, this was simply another social event. One more ball, one more dance. All before summer's end. Before the breeze chills, before the leaves turn red and gold. Similar stories and similar lives. Parallels that should never meet. Yet there they stood, a crossroads that connect.

"My lord?" asked Sebastian.

"Nevermind, it's nothing" said Ciel, "in any case, we should stay until the party ends. Can't miss the final act of the night, after all"

"Very well, my Lord" he bowed.

The waiting was slow but not necessarily long; Lizzy and Ciel were able to get a few more dances in, at one point fruit drinks were served to anyone who needed something fresh. Helena, Lizzy, and Edward conversed in between dances, Ciel drifting in and out all the while.

Sebastian and Lucinda did not dance twice that night.

Very subtly, one by one the servants all disappeared into the depths of the house. No one really noticed it, except for Sebastian and Ciel. They did nothing, expecting things to play out on their own. Which became the better option.

The lights dimmed. The crystal glow of The chandelier diminished. The sudden change got the attention of everyone in the hall, starting a whirl of whispers. The grande finale was starting, assumed the earl.

Mounted on the second floor landing were headlights used in theatre, which now shone upon the figure in front of the doors in between the staircases.

It was a lean figure in a red tail coat, a white blouse blooming with all sorts of frills and lace. Her hands were gloved in black. She wore a translucent multilayered skirt that reached to her knees. Her legs were bare, basking in their true caramel glow. Her feet were crossed and bent parallel to each other in a very balanced manner and facing away from each other. She wore red shoes with a flat toe and laces wrapping her slender ankles.

"Ladies and gentleman" said Helena, stepping into the spotlight. It was enough to hush the voices.

"As we are nearing the end of a grand night, there is something I'd like to present to you all with a show for all of you gathered here"

The woman, whose tied hair shone like flames under the lights, bowed. Her white and red mask over her eyes making her resemble a marionette. She then elevated herself, starting from the heels until she was standing at the top of her toes.

Lizzy cried out in an amazed whisper.

"I can't believe it! She's going to dance en pointe!"

"It is my honor to introduce…" said Helena.

The orchestra began to play, this time much more powerful than before.

More spotlights lit the staircase to reveal several men and women all poised on every step; they all wore masks and magnificent costumes to match them and the household.

"...the one, the only, the Pyra Group!"

The song was alive and brimming with grace, perfectly matching the group as they descended.

Some were singers, their tenor and soprano voices crisp and large. Others were dancers, who joined the red tailed dancer on the floor. Others were actors, following the music's dynamic and creating the harmonies for the voices.

Another taller, paler, dancer joined the lead who wore black tailcoat instead of red, her skirt and shoes white; and together black and red danced with the best of forms and purest of graces. They appeared to be floating as their bodies rose to their toes, every leap leaving a trail of breeze behind for the dazzled viewers.

It was a thrilling experience; somehow the combination of orchestra, song, and dance left anyone who witnessed it in a sort of trance that brought an enormous sense of ease; Ciel was no different in that regard, a sliver of calm began building up. For a moment, he stopped being the lord of the underworld; he was a normal boy again, taking in the sound of music.

Lizzy was completely absorbed in the performance; there was a charm to it that wasn't truly present in the various plays and operas she had attended before, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

The dancers and their floating steps, the harmonies of the choir, the details of the costumes and masks; everything combined brought about a visually intriguing show that kept its audience engaged.

Then it ended as abruptly as it had begun.

Applause. The satisfying sound of applause, echoing back and forth, like thunder in a storm. Row by row, the performers vowed, their smiles proudly shining in the spotlight.

"Pyra is a company that excels in music, acting, and dancing. Using the written talents of the best playwrights, presenting the music of the prodigies, our goal is one, and one alone; to spread the beauty and importance of the arts to all"

"Starting October, our group will be performing at the Palace Theatre in Westminster. It would be our greatest pleasure to have you all in attendance"

"Self promotion in their own debut? Quite bold" commented Sebastian sarcastically.

"But effective, nonetheless" Ciel responded, "if you want to build clientele, doing so at an event where many people are guaranteed to be gathered is a good way to go about it. Bold, but strategic"

It was a calculated risk, Ciel thought. Knowing about business himself, he knew that the best way to make a profit was by spreading the word, featuring the product in shops, appealing to the targeted audience; children and parents, for the Phuntom company. In the case of this performance company, Pyra, what they were selling was entertainment, and the arts are best spread by word of mouth. Bring an audience together, have them witness a piece of what they would be getting, and from there tell their friends and family of this exciting new group in town. As a business tactic, it was clever. So there was a purpose to the party after all.

Sebastian noticed how Ciel went quiet, looking at the now waving performers. The demon caught the eye of familiar golden eyes, and a smile on crimson. She then vanished along with the rest of the masked dancers deep into the mansion. Ciel had learned what he needed to know for the time being.

It wasn't long after the performance when the ball began to naturally fade. As the moon rose higher, the humans began to fatigue. So slowly, every guest said their goodbyes and climbed their carriages back to their respective homes. It was quarter past eleven when Ciel tired out, and had Sebastian get the carriage. There were very few people left. The group has reassembled to say their farewells.

Lucinda had reappeared, as silently as ever, by her lady's side.

"Helena, darling. It's getting late for us, so we're retiring for the night," said Lizzy, "thank you for inviting us. We had a really good time, don't you agree, Ciel?"

With mild surprise of being addressed to suddenly, and his face a bit flushed, he was able to respond appropriately.

"I'd say the hospitality and environment provided was ideal for a ball of this scale. I'd have to agree it was pleasant" he said, being honest for the first time that evening.

"Lovely to hear," said Helena "though I alone cannot take the credit. Lucinda here did an excellent job as my hostess, so any praise for me is praise for her as well"

"Miss Warden, you surely know how to put together a party. I enjoyed it very much," said Lizzy.

This made the woman smile. "What an honor, my lady. I thank you."

"And you, Edward. You're quite the dancer. I do hope we meet again, sometime. It was so nice to meet you" she bowed politely.

Edward approached the young woman with care, and took her small hand to lay a soft kiss.

"The pleasure is all mine, my lady Nightingale" replied Edward, all the initial nerves melted away.

Sebastian returned to join the group, letting them know that their ride was waiting outside.

"I bid you all a good night, then" Helena said, Lucinda silently bowing at her side.

"Let's keep in touch, Helena!" Lizzy shouted, waving as she walked away.

"Of course, dear!"

Sebastian remained behind the rest of the group, and when he got to the door, and the nobles had exited, he felt a tap on the shoulder and the soft aroma of the forest.

"Let's meet again, wanderer" she whispered.

Sebastian said nothing, but looked back to smile at her once more. She too, grinned back at him.

Then he stepped out of the Nightingale mansion, where he drove the carriage back to his current home.

A/N: FINITO. Well at least this part is. It was incredibly fun (and even incredibly stressful) to write this chapter and finally reveal some mighty good details about the story~

We aren't quite at the nitty gritty details yet but the real story is about to take hold. Out with introductions, in with the plot! (I hope)

For Sebastian in Lucinda's dance, I chose to have them be dancing Johann Strauss II's The Blue Danube Waltz. A classic anyone is bound to recognize immediately if listened to. I felt it suited a first dance quite well.

For the Pyra Group performance, they performed for Charles Gounod's Valse de Faust from his opera, Faust.

I like to do through research for my content. And let me tell you finding music that went well with the characters and that were accurate to the time period Black Butler is set in...was an experience all on its own. Siudfsigijg with all that's been going on in the most recent arc it's hard to make a consistent non canonical timeline that won't interfere too much with the canon one *cough* datlizzydevelopment*cries and coughs*.

But research is something I gotta do for a good story. I hope it's coming along nicely.

Chapters have been slow up to this point. Sadly, I do have some life stuff happening a lot lately and finding motivation has been difficult. But I am outlining future chapters now, writing down events that will happen in each chapter, so putting them together will be faster now.

Until the next time~


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